


Home of Blood and Heart

by DDDiSSShhhaaa



Series: Daughter of The Demon [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate History, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-24
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-10 07:13:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2015868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DDDiSSShhhaaa/pseuds/DDDiSSShhhaaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felicity's most close kept secret comes out and suddenly she finds herself trying to find her footing back again in a world she considers her own, while her friends struggle to understand and accept the truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Look for translations below. First things first--- the Arabic sentences are not properly formed. For some reason, how much ever I try the words won't align themselves. I swear to all of you the sentences are properly formed in my Word Document but AO3 and FF.net both are creating problems for me in this regard. Something with the formatting on the site. So for those who understand Arabic, I am sorry...but the reason I used Arabic words is to let the reader know when they are speaking in Arabic, instead of asking them to imagine it. So just skip onto the translations instead. From next chapter on wards the translations will be beside the words/sentences.

" **كيف حالك , أختي جميلة** ؟"

“Whoah” the bottle-blonde flinched in the doorway in momentary terror. Turning around to face the interior of her living room, Felicity Smoak narrowed her eyes at her intruder. Closing the door behind her, she rushed around the small interior of her townhouse closing curtains and ignoring her uninvited guest.

Once done, the genius returned to her living room, her steps falling in a determined gait. Crossing her arms under her chest she regarded the exotic, copper skinned woman in front of her with narrowed calculating eyes.

Finally breaking the silence she asked, “Does he know?” her voice taking a soft tone betraying the hard expression on her beautiful face.

“Does who know?”

“You know exactly who I am talking about?”

Sighing the brunette answered, “When you…left I promised you that he would not learn of the nature and reason for your departure from me…I still honor that promise   **جميلة أختي** ”

“That doesn’t mean that you haven’t told him where I am…and I know you wouldn’t ever betray my trust like that but I…just have to be sure.” Sighing softly she looked up into the soft brown eyes that hid the true nature of the woman standing before her. Only the closest to her heart could incite such softness in her.

She had wondered when she would be receiving a visit from the tall woman. To say that she had been relieved when she never visited after the Slade debacle would be an understatement on her part. But at the same time she had felt oddly disappointed. She surmised it could be because of the bond that they had once shared that obviously lacked now.

“I thought you had left.”

“I had. But as soon as we left port we were relayed a message asking our immediate return. **طائر كناري** is the reason I am back. She stayed to look after her father and support her sister. I have come to take her back now.”

“I just came from visiting him at the station. He seems to be adjusting well to his new position.”

“So I heard.”

“Why are you really here?”

“I wanted to speak with you that day but you had already left, on your way to China. I could not stay back without a proper reason then. So now that I do have an opportunity, I came to ask you to come back with me, to our home. **أ العزيزة ختي للمنزل أعود** ”

“I can’t. You know that. I just can’t”

“Of course you can. He does not say but he misses you just as much as I do. He never looked for you because he knew you would not want that. He has been waiting for you to come back on your own **شقيقة**...just like before.”

“But nothing is like before. I was naive then. I wanted a family and I got one but I didn’t realize the price I would have to pay for it. And now I do. I do and I can’t pay that price. You know I can’t. You were there, you saw how I struggled, how I tried but I do not belong in the same world as yours. My world is here…”

“You belong _with_ us **عزيزتي** ”

“No I _don’t_. I _like_ what I do here. I like helping people and saving them.”

“How is what you do any different from what we do?”

“It is. It is in so many ways.”

“Give me one.”

“You know it as well as I do. You were here when we defeated Slade. We don’t kill Nyssa. I can’t take the killing or the blood.”

“We do what we do for the _good_ of this world, and yet you _refuse_ to see that!”

“Nyssa, **العزيزة أختي** , what I see is so much more different than what you do. I don’t see saviors but killers. He was ready to level a whole city with innocent people in it in the name of justice and **إنقاذ** (salvation/saving).”

“Let’s not argue about what we will never agree on then,” the brunette huffed irritated. “Tell me **عزيزتي** , why not fight alongside your friends when you can?”

“It’s actually quite simple…”

“I am waiting...” Nyssa interrupted, raising an eyebrow and tapping her foot impatiently.

Nyssa watched as the short blonde in heels hardened her stance and straightened her back. With a raised chin and a determined glint in her eyes she stated, “Because here, I am Felicity Smoak, genius and IT extraordinaire, not _Talia Al Ghul_ , **شيطانابنة** (Daughter of the Demon).”

 

* * *

 

 **جميلةأختي** – My Beautiful sister

 **أ العزيزة ختي للمنزل أعود** – Come back home my dear sister

 **شقيقة** – sister

 **إنقاذ** – salvation/saving

 **عزيزتي** – dear

 **العزيزة أختي** – dear sister

 **شيطانابنة** – Daughter of the Demon


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as Felicity entered, she was hit by the unsavory smell of mold, rat feces, and a certain smell that you only associate with old dilapidated buildings. No matter how many times she and her team had cleaned and freshened up their new lair the smell remained.

‘The day Oliver is Oliver Queen again, I am campaigning for a new and clean lair,’ she thought as she descended the stairs. The sounds of flesh hitting flesh in an attempt to overpower their opponent hit Felicity like fresh air. She wondered when the sounds of fighting and combat became music to her ears rather than appalling her as it used to once.

Dropping her bag and files on the metal desk supporting her equipment, Felicity settled in for a night of crime fighting. Turning her systems on, the blonde spun in her chair to observe her surroundings and the people occupying it. Oliver and Diggle sparring had always been her favorite site because of the complicated dance that it seemed instead of the brutal combat that it really was. Roy sat on the sidelines observing and understanding.

As was routine now after the sparring match between the two older men, it would be Roy’s turn to step onto the mats. Any one of his mentors would take the role of opposition and the other would act as instructor.

The sound of footsteps descending into the lair attracted the blonde’s attention away from the mats to the entrance. Her breath stuck in her throat when she saw the Canary enter.

“Sara!...Hi, you’re here. Of course you’re here, where else would you be…I mean this is after all the club of crime fighting extraordinaire personnel!!...Uh sorry hi!”

“Hey Felicity,” the blonde replied chuckling.

“Hi…wait I thought you were leaving tonight?!!” Felicity cringed at her tactless wording, “I mean is everything alright, with Captain Lance and…well everything?”

“Yeah…everything’s fine I just felt like staying back for some time.”

“Oh that’s good.”

“So…boy’s up for a challenge?!” Sara exclaimed walking towards the training mats and joining in.

Felicity sat waiting, debating, now immersed in her own world. Finally coming to a decision, Felicity grabbed her things and ran out of the lair in search of privacy. Dialing the number she knew would get her answers she waited.

" **الخير مساء** (Good Evening)”

“I thought you said you were leaving tonight!”

“Good Evening to you too **العزيزة أختي** (Dear Sister)”

“I don’t have time for this.” She whispered, in fear of being discovered. “Is there a reason you haven’t left yet?”

The brunette on the other end sighed. “Nothing you have to be worried about. **طائر كناري** (Canary Bird) wished to spend a few more days with her family and I felt it only right. After all, I do wish the same for myself. That is, of course if you allow.”

Felicity sighed in relief. “Sorry I’m just a little jumpy.” She hesitated a little before making up her mind and replying, “And yes, I would love to spend time with you. How about dinner tonight? My place?”

“Good to know. I was afraid you would say no.”

“If father would have accompanied you then yes, I would have definitely said no. But it’s you. How can I give up the opportunity to talk with you when I have the chance not to.”

“Alright then, **عزيزتي** (Dear), I will see you tonight.”

“ **أراك** (See you)”

 

* * *

 

“Well looks like everything’s quiet tonight so…I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“Why in such a hurry? Hot date?” Roy inquired.

Sighing at the loss of her plan of a hasty retreat, Felicity threw an annoyed glare at Roy and attempted to try and salvage her escape as best as she could.

“Whatever I do in my spare time Harper, tell me how is it any of your business?”

Palms up as a show of surrender and retreat, Roy backed away. In her attempt to dissuade Roy Harper, Felicity now realized she had ignored the other three-fifths of her team, who all having heard Roy’s exclamation had stopped in their individual tasks to hear Felicity’s answer.

Diggle with his ever present mixture of a knowing-amused stare had stopped cleaning the guns, Oliver a grumpy expression settled on his face had stopped in his task of sharpening his arrows and Sara donning a concerned look waited on the mats expectantly with her bo staff clutched tightly. They all seemed ready to interrogate her about her evening plans.

Out of all of them it was Sara’s expression of concern that was the most confusing to Felicity. But soldiering on she exclaimed to the whole room in as much of an authoritative voice as she could muster, “If you must know, yes I do.”

She observed the falling of Oliver’s face, the raising of Diggle’s eyebrow and the inquisitive arch of Sara’s eyebrow and Roy pulling a triumphant smile.

“With Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen and Arya Stark.” The collective confusion donning on the rest of the team’s face elicited a giggle from the short blonde. “I have been meaning to binge watch Game of Thrones for some days now, and since today seems to be the day that I would get to do that I am not wasting it, sitting here wishing for a criminal to pop up just to pass my time. So Au Revoir my friends and Happy Vigilanteing.” With that Felicity sauntered out, throwing half truths and lies around easily, leaving behind amused chuckles and confused frowns.

She wondered while walking towards her parked car on the far side if the building, when she got good enough to lie to her team this way. Before she could enter her car though, a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“Hey Felicity, can we talk for a second?” Sara, having rushed out of the lair after her, asked.

“Of course. Is everything ok?” The blonde asked shutting the door to her car and facing her friend.

“I don’t know.”

At Felicity’s confused frown, the blonde rushed to explain, “I mean that’s what I want to know. Is…everything ok…I mean between us?”

“Of course! Why wouldn't it be?”

“I…you know…,” Sara huffed irritated with her inability to form proper sentences all of a sudden.

“Oh wait are you asking because of how I reacted when you entered the lair?” Felicity inquired, feeling a little unsettled again, she knew she hadn't covered her anxiety well, “You know I really was worried about Captain Lance’s well being that’s why I acted the way I did. It was probably rude, but you know my…faulty brain to mouth filter. I mean you told me the other night that you were leaving and I saw you here today so I figured just like last time something must have happened…that’s all I swear.”

“Ok…but then why did you run out immediately after I came in?”

Felicity swore inwardly. She never realized Sara and the others would have noticed her hasty retreat.

“I just had a phone call to make.” When in doubt, don’t underestimate the importance of half- truths or lying by omission, she thought.

“Oh ok…are you sure everything’s ok between us?”

“Yes Sara, everything’s ok. As I said before, why wouldn't it be…”

“Oh ok then, I’ll let you be…can’t delay you anymore than I already have now can I…after all you have a date to get to.” Sara smiled tentatively at the blond in front of her,

“Yup, date. Gotta go. See you later, Sara. Bye.”

“Bye.” Sara watched as Felicity pulled out of the parking lot. As the lights of her car disappeared around the corner, Sara couldn't help but feel that Felicity hadn't been completely truthful to her. She just hoped that her friendship with the blond wasn't affected because of her past decisions.

Just before she entered the lair though Sara remembered some of what Felicity told her. Her curiosity peaked even more when she realized she never did tell the other blond that she was supposed to leave today. ‘Then how did she know,’ Sara wondered, ‘what are you hiding Felicity?’

 

* * *

 

“! **هراء** (Nonsense!)”

“No I am serious **شقيقة** (Sister)”

“Wow didn't see that coming.” Felicity stated on choked breath still recovering from her uncontrollable laughter. Nyssa and she had spent the last hour after dinner exchanging stories of their various adventures. Nyssa, detailing her travels around the world, making sure to leave out the manner of her visit to said countries out, knowing it wouldn't be appreciated by present company. Instead she sat regaling her sister with stories of idiocy of her fellow League members who had accompanied her in her travels.

While Felicity told Nyssa about the misadventures of Team Arrow, leaving out anything that she felt Nyssa shouldn't know. Their tranquil reunion though, was soon disrupted with the sudden shrill of Felicity’s doorbell.

Indicating for Nyssa to be quiet, Felicity peeked through the peep hole to find the object of her dreams and desires standing outside with a bottle of wine in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other. Taking a deep breath Felicity eased the door open just enough to peek out.

“Hey!”

“Hi. What are you doing here?” Felicity asked stepping out, easing the door closed behind her.

“Uhh…I thought I could come in, maybe give you company. I brought mint chip and wine. It’s no Lafite Rothschild but I am not exactly Oliver Queen right now.”

“No that’s…ok. But ummm..this is not such a good time.”

“I thought you were watching Game of Thrones. And you keep telling me to watch more shows and update my pop culture knowledge. So I thought who better to teach me than you…” Oliver looked at her imploringly.

“Oh that’s a great idea,” Felicity stated nervously but nonetheless smiled at her colleague in crime fighting, “but you see I changed my mind instead I am planning to turn in for the night.”

Oliver looked at her questioningly. Tilting his head like she had on their first meet, he inquired, “At 10:30?”

“Yeah, you know get as much sleep as I can. A lot of days it’s not possible. Maybe…next time?”

“Yeah…umm ok.” Oliver hung his head a little disappointed and turned around to walk away.

“Hey Oliver?”

“Yeah?” Oliver asked turning around, a hopeful tint to his voice.

“Don’t drink that wine without me ok? And let’s decide on a date to commence your pop culture re-education. What say?”

“Sounds great!” Oliver beamed.

After her green hooded friend left, Felicity heaved a relived sigh and turned around to find Nyssa regarding her carefully. Walking back to her seat she raised her eyebrows in question to her sisters piercing look.

Nyssa shook her head in answer although her inquisitive and piercing gaze continued to make Felicity uncomfortable for the rest of the evening.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A reminder, the Arabic words aren’t arranged properly in sentences, FF.net and AO3 won’t let me correct it =@...

“ _What_ ?”

“Yes, he’s here and he’s surrounding your friends on a rooftop right this second. **الوقتأختلديناليس** (We do not have time, sister). We have to leave… _now_!”

“They can handle him.” Felicity defiantly stated, directing hard eyes at her sister.

“They could not handle him if he was alone **عزيزتي** (Dear)! He’s brought half the League with him to get you back. Seems he’s done being patient now that he knows where you are and what you are doing.”

“But…how did he…?”

“There’s no time for questions…we’ll get the answers later. For now he wishes to see you and seeing you is the only thing that will prevent him from _slaughtering_ your friends.”

Finally snapping out of her mutinous state, concern for her friends taking over all her other emotions, Felicity sprang into action and rushed to the inside of her closet.

“This is no time to be getting dressed!”

“I think it is…” Felicity stated walking out of her closet with a garment bag. Slipping out of her pajamas, Felicity pulled out what had been a gift to her from her father when she had completed her training. This would be the first time she will be wearing it. Opening the zipper of the garment bag she turned around to find recognition flash in her sister’s eyes.

* * *

 

**3 days earlier…**

“So…everything seems to be calm again tonight. What d’ya guys say we order in some take out maybe watch a movie while we wait for the criminals to wake from whatever catatonic state they have been stuck in for the past few months?” Felicity questioned turning in her chair to face her co-vigilantes sparring on the mats.

“I’m in…I can’t take anymore of this!” Roy exclaimed getting of the mats and walking towards the rack holding his towel and water bottle, leaving behind three other sweating masses.

“Yeah sounds good to me too...” Sara chipped in, standing in her place trying to catch her breath.

“Ok good, since you two gave in these two won’t be too far behind. So Roy I order, you pick up. Sara you clean up around here while I search for a movie. And boys?” She directed to the two tall masses still standing in the middle of the mats looking ready for a fight, “Go clean up while Sara and I pick a movie. It’s late and time to give up.”

The two men huffed at her commanding tone but complied easily and moved towards the back room where a couple of showers were situated.

“Oh…wait,” Felicity shouted after them. Turning around, they raised inquisitive eyebrows at her. “I forgot to ask…Chinese, Indian or Thai…and before you ask, yes those are the only choices you get.”

After everyone had opted for Thai, and Felicity had placed their orders, Oliver and Diggle moved to get a shower in, while Roy ran out to get the orders and Sara joined Felicity at the computers after picking the discarded weapons and towels and putting them back in place, the towels in the laundry hamper, the bow and bow staff and other paraphernalia making their way to their resting places.

* * *

 

Entering her townhouse, Felicity’s ears perked up. Faint sounds of footsteps could be heard walking towards her. Her recently agitated nerves at seeing her sister in her home had prompted Felicity to remember and use her acquired skills once again, just in case. She had been on constant vigilance since the first night her sister broke into her place. Closing the door silently behind her, she picked the umbrella in her right hand from the stand near her doorway.

Clutching it just above the handle, for better grip to use as a weapon, Felicity pivoted on her left feet when she felt her intruder close in, swinging it around like one would a sword Felicity jabbed the pointy end of her umbrella into the intruders ribs only to be blocked.

The stranger held onto the umbrella and attempted to pull the blonde in but using her assailants momentum against him, Felicity turned around, pulling her assailants arm back along with the umbrella and locking it around her elbow as she jabbed her left elbow into the persons nape exactly where her father had shown her to hit her opponent to weaken or disorient them.

Disentangling herself soon after her attack she delivered a round house kick to the head that sent her attacker falling on the ground. The mass lay on the ground shaking that she soon realized was in silent laughter. Switching the lights on she found her copper skinned sister laying on the floor, her body shaking from a happiness that she hadn't seen in her in the last few days but remembered quite well from her time spent with her all those years ago.

“What were you thinking Nyssa? I thought you were a thief or something!” Felicity exclaimed, feeling her anger takeover over the feelings of nostalgia.

“I do apologize for that, **شقيقة** (Sister), **ننسلمأراكأنالجيدمنولكن** (but it’s good to see you haven’t forgotten...)” she answered smiling up at the sister she had lost and now seemed to be winning back, slowly but surely.

Felicity looked down into the smiling eyes of her sister, a sister who had no reason to accept her all those years ago but she had, she had protected her, taught her, played with her and doted on her. She never showed but she had missed her sister dearly. Offering her hand down she helped the other woman up. Holding onto her sister’s hand and looking into her eyes she stated,

“ **شيءكلبعدليقوةمنهديةأعطىالذيوأنتقويةتكونأنعلمنيالذيلككان .لالييمكنكيف** (How could I not. It was you who taught me to be strong and you who gave the gift of strength to me after all.)”

Tears sprang in the eyes of the older woman as she tugged the younger girl in an embrace.

After a brief moment Nyssa broke the silence, “So how about we practice and brush up on your skills. Had I not been holding back, you would have definitely been the loser in this fight.”

“You wish.” Felicity narrowed her eyes at her sister, silently accepting her challenge.

* * *

  

Walking back from the cafeteria near Queen Consolidated, Felicity stretched her neck and limbs. It had been an exhausting sparring session with her sister last night but she was surprised at how much fighting still came to her naturally even after all these years of holding back. It scared her, if she was being honest, but she didn't want to be. It felt good to be sparring and bantering with her sister again after all these years and getting confirmation that she had somehow still maintained her stamina.

She dismissed her worried thoughts thinking it was only for a few days. Then Nyssa would be gone and she would get back to being just Felicity Smoak. Making her way up to the executive floor she eyed the new CEO in his office sitting in what once was Oliver’s chair. When Ray Palmer had swooped in and taken over QC she had requested him to send her back to her old job. But he had insisted she stay stating that she knew more than any temp would and that he could use the help.

Seeing him now pouring over papers, talking to a tall man with salt pepper hair in his office she frowned. She didn't remember scheduling a meeting for him right after lunch. Shaking her head, she surmised the man could be a walk in. Settling in her chair and rebooting her system Felicity lost herself in her work, sending out memos, replying to emails, setting up appointments, the usual. Before she knew it, an hour had passed and the man previously sitting in Ray’s office was now walking out.

She got up from her chair to escort him to the elevators, when she noticed Palmer ducking back in to receive a phone call. Walking beside the man she bid him a good day but stopped short of turning when she noticed him giving her a thoughtful look.

“Can I help you with something?”

The man snapped out of his thoughts and immediately apologized and rushed to explain himself, “Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. It’s just you look a lot like someone I used to know.” He continued in his silky French accent, “Obviously it isn't you but for a moment I thought it was,” the man finished smiling.

“It’s alright…don’t worry about it, Mr…”

“Ducard. It’s Henri Ducard.” The man replied extending his hand for Felicity to shake. “And may I know what…uh..to call you.”

“Felicity. Felicity Smoak.” Felicity replied taking the man’s hand.

“Well, it was nice to meet you Felicity,” Henri stated with a strange glint in his eye, he smiled at her, something that immediately set her on edge.

Before she could reply in kind Henri Ducard had turned around and exited onto the lift in all his French glory, leaving Felicity buzzing with a nervous energy that she didn't quite understand.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A reminder, the Arabic words aren’t arranged properly in sentences, FF.net and AO3 won’t let me correct it =@ (even the freaking question mark won't move)... Also Felicity’s pronounciation of Ra’s Al Ghul’s name is the same as Nyssa’s from Arrow in this story (You would have noticed she called him Rejh Al Ghul and not Ra’s Al Ghul)

‘Traffic,’ Felicity thought as she rushed beside her sister in an attempt to get to her friends…her family as soon as possible, ‘is going to be the death of me.’

Having ditched her car not two blocks from her townhouse seeing the state of traffic, the girls decided to indulge in their once favorite past time to get to the soon-to-be war zone rooftop, parkour.

Easily keeping up with her sister came as a surprise to her as she had not done this in years, ‘maybe it’s a genetic thing,’ Felicity thought wryly. Landing on a roof top beside her sister and  adjacent to the one her two warring families stood at, Felicity watched from the shadows as a scene straight from her nightmares unfolded in front of her crouched form.

Oliver in his hood, Sara in the Canary get up, Roy in his red mask and hood and Diggle, who shouldn't have been there, stood in a circle with their backs to each other facing an army of assassins. Their weapons out, arrows nocked, guns cocked, bo staff out, they stood ready to fight.

In the front of the group, right in Oliver’s eye line stood the Demon himself. Her father, in all his League of Assassins glory stood facing the man she loved with a sword in his hands and a smug grin on his face. His tall and imposing stature appearing to dwarf The Arrow and the assembly of vigilantes and assassins collectively.

She shook her head trying to dispel her childhood view of her larger than life father. She reasoned to herself that Ra’s Al Ghul, was ultimately human, no matter how unbeatable he may have proven himself to be.

Just as she prepared to jump in to stop the impending battle her father spoke, “I am not here to fight… _all_ I want is what you have of mine and I will leave this city.”

“I don’t have anything of yours. You are not welcome in this city Ra’s Al Ghul, it would be in your best interest if you left.”

Her father laughed at the Arrow’s warning and exclaimed, “And you are going to stop me?! With what army? I have more men than you and your merry band of vigilantes can take. Give me my daughter back and I’ll leave.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about! But if you want your daughter back why didn't you just go to her. Don’t tell me…Nyssa finally come to her senses about you and won’t see you.” Oliver taunted.

This was not going well. Her father’s face twisted in silent anger. She watched as he took two menacing steps forward and said in his most threatening tone, “You are not in the position to act coy boy.” Turning around and taking his previous position he stated, “And anyways, I _was_ on my way to my daughter when your _friends_ interrupted the progress of my congregation. And of course, like the _hero_ that you are, you swooped in to save them.”

Turning to Sara, he stated, “ **الكناريالعزيزبلدي** (My dear Canary) I thought you understood the terms of your reinstatement in our midst. Do you really think you will win against me? You _can’t_ fight me or have you forgotten what happened the last time you fought against an Al Ghul?”

Sara remained quiet, but as a show of compliance lowered her bo staff and hung her head, stepping out of her fighting stance.

“ **جيدةفتاة** (Good girl), _now_ I don’t have time for this. It’s time for me to take your leave my _friends_ ” he looked to her new family and smirked, “ **قتلهم** (Kill them)” he ordered.

Her heart raced and without anymore hesitation she used the silk length of black cloth secured under her jacket to twist and jump on to the rooftop, bending her knees to take the brunt of the impact, landing gracefully in front of Oliver in protection just as her father turned to make his way down and the assassins started their charge.

“ **وقف** (Stop)!” Her commanding voice echoed bringing a standstill to the commencing battle. Getting out of the crouch, Felicity stood tall, her light black leather coat bellowing about her showing off the cerise pink lining, the Elizabethan high collar giving the illusion of broad shoulders.

Assuming her fighting stance and pulling on the persona of her father’s given name, Felicity pulled a cylindrical device in her right hand from the weapons belt tied over her low waist secured beside her left thigh. Two other belts, one fastened over her left thigh like a garter and the other around her waist, it’s pouch resting over the outer side of her right thigh, knives and oval batarangs glittering in the moonlight from within them, stood out against the dark grey of her pants.

Black heeled boots and two belt closures on her waist adding to the look her father designed for her. A black vintage Arabian style twisted turban with cerise pink piping covered her hair, while the black sheer veil style fabric flowing from under it on both sides of her face covered the most distinguishing features of her face, her mouth, ears and nose, leaving only her eyes to show.

Pumping her fist once to unravel the cylinder into a bo staff of her own, she faced her father, who having heard her voice had whirled around and was now looking at her with pride.

Coming to stand in front of her, he held his daughters face in his palms. The tenderness of her father’s touch softening her eyes, but not breaking her stance. With love and affection in his eyes, the hardened leader of the League of Assassins placed a kiss on his daughters niqab covered cheek, and whispered, “ **تالياالجميلةبلدي**.. **. أصغر،ياأراكأنالجيدمنأن** ه(It's good to see you, my youngest...my beautiful Talia).

 

* * *

 

**2 days earlier…**

_A silky voice with a French accent whispered sweetly in her ear, feeding her insecurities, fanning her fears that her family had abandoned her. They won’t be coming for her. Tears spilled from her blindfolded eyes, the fabric tied around her head getting soaked; still the tears spilled some making their way down her cheeks. She tried to ignore him, tell him they loved her, they won’t let anything happen to her. Her pathetic attempts were met with sniggering._

_“Oh you poor little girl,” the man mocked her. “Tell me why would they want such a pitiful, weak creature like you?”_

_“They love me, they’ll come for me…” her 12 year old self insisted. Again she was met with laughter which was soon followed by the sound of a blade slicing through flesh._

Felicity shot up in her bed, panting. The remnants of her dream plaguing the back of her eyelids. The French man in Ray Palmer’s office had brought forth memories of a forgotten time. She didn't understand why.

‘It couldn't be the same man could it,’ she wondered. ‘No,’ she concluded, ‘father had killed him to save me; to bring me back home…it’s nothing but a coincidence. Yes…just a man with an accent, nothing to worry about. That’s all.’ She berated her subconscious for getting worked up over nothing.

Getting out of bed, she slipped her feet in her fuzzy slippers to ward off the chill of the night. Finding her way around the darkened hallway Felicity made her way out to the kitchen. Filling a glass of water for herself, she tried to calm her racing heart. Hearing movement behind her, she turned around to find her sister’s inquisitive gaze trained on her. She had forgotten for a moment that Nyssa had stayed the night taking residence in her spare bedroom.

“ **؟شقيقة،بخيرأنتهل** (Are you alright, sister?),” concern reflecting in the older woman’s eyes.

“ **أنا،نعم** (Yes, I am)… **تقلقلا** (Don’t worry).”

“ **؟والحق،شيءأيليتقولأنيمكنأنكأعلمكنت** (You know you can tell me anything, right?)”

“ **أفعل،نعم** (Yes, I do)” Felicity replied looking away for a moment.

“ **عزيزييا،معييتحدثثم** (Then talk to me, dear).”

Sighing, Felicity averted her gaze once again trying to make up her mind. Decision made, she looked up into her sister’s eyes and asked, “Do you remember when I first came to live with you and father?”

“ **نعم** (Yes),” Nyssa replied curious as to where this was going.

“The man that took me, who kidnapped…” Felicity choked, her voice sounding gravelly. Clearing her throat she continued, “Who was he? I never asked but I always wondered…and how did father find us…where was I taken and why?” Felicity rushed on for fear she would lose her nerve and not ask the questions plaguing her mind like she had done numerous times before tonight.

“ **؟المفاجئالاهتماملماذا،شقيقة** (Sister, why the sudden interest?)”

“It’s not sudden. I told you I have always wanted to know but never asked. When father asked me to never mention it again I took it to heart. But I want to know.”

“All you need to know is that that man is gone and isn't coming back ever. **أنمنمتأكداالأجعل** (Father made sure of that)”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes, why would you ask that?

“Nothing, sorry…it was silly of me…I shouldn't have ever brought this up. Go to sleep, Nyssa. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Are you sure? I could sit with you.”

“No. I’m ok. Just you know…my normal level of silliness.”

“ **سخيفةولكنشيءأيكنتشقيقة؟،تسمعنيهل،سخيفاتكنلم** (You are _not_ silly, do you hear me, sister? You are anything _but_ silly).”

Her sister’s words brought a smile to her face. Wiping the onset of sleep from her eyes, Felicity enveloped her older sister in her arms, sighing at the feeling of protection that encircled her.

“ **أفعل** (I do).” Felicity continued with a cheeky smirk, an attempt on her part to lighten the mood. “I am a genius after all.”

                                                                                 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proportions are a little off in my drawing but I am also studying for finals and didn't have time to redo it in time to post it with this chapter…so mediocre work it is >: […and yes the costume is very much inspired by Nyssa Al Ghul's from Arrow.
> 
> I have never read the comics, but I am getting most of my comic related information from ‘comicvine.com’. Talia’s mother in the comics is known to be of Chinese and Arab descent but for the sake of this story obviously that’s not happening. Also Talia’s famously known as one of Batman’s lovers and the mother of his son Damian Wayne. But she has been known to not agree with her father’s deeds and I am of course using that to my advantage for Felicity’s character. It was Nyssa Raatko (comic version of Nyssa Al Ghul) who never knew Ra’s and after the death of her mother tracked him down. Impressed that she could find him, Ra’s offered Nyssa a place in the LOA
> 
> My version Ra’s Al ghul is loosely based on Liam Neeson’s The Dark Knight series character. We will soon get to her mother’s story (no she isn’t dead) and how Felicity came to live with the Al Ghul’s…this story is now not going to stick to my originally planned 5 chapters (more than five but definitely less than 10)….until the next chapter…tata for now =)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A reminder, the Arabic words aren’t arranged properly in sentences, FF.net and AO3 won’t let me correct it =@...oh and no flashback this chapter.

“You always knew how to make an entrance, my darling Talia.”

Felicity remained quiet.

“ **.** **حبيبي عاد لك الوقت حان** **.** **جئت أن الجيد** **من** **أنه** (It’s good that you came. It’s time you returned home my darling)”

Finally breaking her silence she stated,“ **.** **هنا إلى أنتمي أنا** **.** **الأب الآن هو** **هنا** **بيتي** (My home is here now father. I belong _here_.)

“ **.** **مضى وقت أي من حدث هذا ننسى لن سوف ونحن تعود** **.** **و** **I** **أختك مع** **.** **عائلتك مع هو مكانك** **.** **هراء** (Nonsense. Your place is with your family. With your sister and I. Come back and we’ll forget this ever happened.)”

“ **.** **زرزور في ،هنا ينتمي قلبي ولكن** **.** **والدم لحمك أنا** **.** **والنيصي دائما أحبك وسوف** **.** **الآنأخرى** **عائلة لدي** **.** **أستطيع لا الأبولكن ،آسف** **أنا** (I am sorry, father but I can’t. I have another family now. I will always love you and Nyssa. I am your flesh and blood. But my heart belongs here, in Starling.)”

From the corner of her eyes Felicity noticed Sara shifting. She understood then that Sara could understand some of what was being said if not all.

Returning her attention to her father she pleaded, “ **.** **فضلك من** **.** **والد ،الجنون هذا** **وقف** (Stop this madness, father. Please.)”

“ **للطفل؟ الكثير نطلب أن هو** **.** **لك** **لأعود بالنسبة هو أريده ما** **كل** (All I want is for you to come back. Is that too much to ask of a child?)” Her father’s voice hardened.

Pinching his nose in irritation he looked behind her to observe the still vigilant group. Looking back into his daughter’s eyes he offered, “ **.** **ذلك أعرف وكنت ،المنزل ترحيب موضع دائما سيكون لك ما** **.** **معنا عائلتك** **جلب** **يمكنك** (You can bring your family with us. What’s yours will always be welcome home, you know that.)”

“ **.** **آسف وأنا ،الأب لك** **قلت** (I told you father, I am sorry.)”

His whole demeanor changed, in front of her eyes she saw her father transform into Ra’s Al Ghul, the one they call demon. Hard eyes looked at her before he stated in his most threateningly quiet voice, “ **.** **قتلهم** **.** **أخرى مرة تذهب السماح  لا أنا ،ثانية ومرة مرة** **واحدة تذهب أن لي** **.** **اسمحوا المقابل في الموت تلقي لهم يجوز ثم عائلتنا وبين بينك في الوقوف على تسير أصدقائك** **كان إذا حتى** **.** **أرى** (I see. So if your _friends_ are going to stand in between you and our family then they shall receive death in return. I let you go once and a second time, I am not letting you go again. Kill them.)” His voice rose with each word as he finally roared the final command to his men.

“ **.** **أحبهم** **أنا** **...** **فضلك من هذا** **الأبتفعل لا** **!** **لا** (NO! Don’t do this father please…I love them.)” Felicity pleaded.

“ **معي تأتي ثم** (Then come with me),” he stated.

“ **.** **رقم** (No.)” Felicity stated defiantly. Her father once again looked to the group standing behind her before turning angry eyes on her.

“ **.** **وقح الفتى هذا مع حب حالة في كنت** **.** **صحيح** **ذلك** (So it is true. You’re in love with that insolent boy.)”

Felicity stared in her father’s eyes, silent, though confused as to how he came to that conclusion.

“ **.** **لي تجب لم** **أنت** (You didn't answer me.)”

“ **.** **وراء الفريق في زملائي أو أتركه** **لن** **...** **أستطيع لاوأنا أحبه** **أنا** **.** **أنا** **،نعم** (Yes, I am. I love him and I can’t…won’t leave him or my team behind.)” Somewhere in her periphery she saw Sara stiffen, a thoughtful look crossing over her face as she turned to look at her.

“ **.** **يموت ذلك** **بعد** (Then they shall die.)”

“ **.** **عليها للحصول أولالي خلال من للذهاب لديك** **سيكون** (You’ll have to go through me first to get to them.)”

“ **تفعل ماذا تعرف أنت** **.** **الحين ذلك للغاية جيد بشكل** (Very well then. You know what to do),” he said looking towards his men.

With a bored sigh Ra’s Al Ghul moved back to stand on the edge of the rooftop, her sister beside him. Silently, Nyssa pleaded for her to give up. But she couldn't. She couldn't let anyone else fight her fights anymore nor could she let anyone hurt her family.

Preparing herself she looked over her shoulder to the band of vigilantes and in her most commanding voice she ordered, “Stay back! This is my fight…”

She pivoted going down on her left ankle and extending her right leg to trip her first assailant to the ground spinning back up to her feet, planting them on the ground below as she strengthened her core stance. She hit one end of her staff on the head of her opponent to knock him unconscious, using the other to hit another rapidly approaching assassin. Separating her staff in two she slipped easily into a dance she had perfected at a young age with two new opponents. Dodging, hitting, blocking they became a blur of hands and weapons. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a silver blur approaching her fast.

Ducking to her right as it sliced right past her into one of her opponent’s shoulder, while she still fought with the other. The batarang star glinted in the moonlight from its resting place in her adversary’s shoulder. Using this to her advantage she drove her staff to hit the underside of the star burying it deeply in her the assassins shoulder. Ducking down from her other opponents strike she pivoted again to her right ending behind him in a blur of black and pink, another twist around and she had reattached her staff at the same time as she stole one his arrows from his quiver driving it deep into his thigh as soon as she was in front of him again. Pulling the arrow out, she drove her elbow in her opponent’s nose breaking it and disorienting him.

Using the now bloody arrow to injure and incapacitate her other opponent with her other hand. Three more charged towards her. Slipping her oval batarangs from her belt pockets she sent them flying towards them. Before either could react the blades had done their work, incapacitating two of her  opponents by hitting them in their calves. The last one, a big brute of a man, picked her up like a rag doll, intending to throw her off his shoulder. Using the height and momentum she swung her lower body in front to lock her thighs around the man’s throat effectively cutting off his air supply.

Having stayed out of the fight all this time, she saw when Oliver could no longer hold back, nocking an arrow he prepared to shoot her assailant down. Not ready to give up her fight, she twisted around when she felt the man’s arms loosen around her, striking her elbow against his temple on her way up, she swiveled around to his back, using the rapidity of her motion she arced her back extending her arms behind her as she brought her adversary down on his back.

Pushing back on her wrists she loosened her hold on the man to cartwheel into standing position, picking up a discarded long staff on her way up. Spinning on her heel she pointed the edge the pointed edge of the staff at the downed man’s heart. Blowing hair away from her face, still not out of breath, she stated,

“ **.‘الغول’ يزال لاأنا ولكن ،صدئ ربما** **أنا** (I maybe rusty, but I am still an Al Ghul.)”

As other men of her father’s army approached her, she saw out of the corner of her eye her team joining in this time wanting to fight by her side. Before they could reach their little group though, her father bellowed, “ **!** **كاف** (ENOUGH!)

All activity halted and nothing but silence befell the congregation of killers and heroes. Walking back to stand toe-to-toe to her, her father quietly stated, “ **.** **الحلو بلدي الحين ذلك حتى وداعا قلنا أفضل كنت** **.** **الوطن ليأخذك قليلة ساعات** **غضون في لرؤيتك سأعود** **.** **الراهن الوقت في** **.** **طريقك في ذلك ويكون** **،غرامة** (Fine, have it your way. For now. I’ll come back to see you in a few hours to take you back home. You better have said your goodbyes until then my sweet.)”

With those final words her father kissed her forehead and walked out, the League of Assassins following carrying their injured with them.

Heaving a sigh of relief Felicity turned around to see her team staring at her. Giving a sideways pump to encase her now retrieved staff back in its cylindrical container, she tucks it back into her belt as Nyssa joins her side, a silent standoff ensuing. It’s Sara who finally breaks the silence with her statement, “You are Talia Al Ghul.”

Felicity nods in answer. “I heard about you when I was there. They said you just disappeared. You've been here…in Starling this whole time?”

Again Felicity nods her affirmation.

“Great another assassin…that’s all we need,” at Roy’s muttered comment she turns her eyes on him, glaring, challenging him to speak more. To her satisfaction he gulps and backs down, a smug smile stretching across her face.

“Why would you help us?” It was Oliver who asked this question, moving to stand beside his three friends. She tilts her head at him, a gesture so familiar to Oliver it knocks the air out of his lungs. He knows it’s not her who’s standing in front of him, it can’t be. Shaking himself internally to rid himself of ridiculous notions he straightens looking at the woman in front of him as if she were a stranger.

Felicity sighs, closing her eyes, working up the courage to tell the truth and prepare herself for what’s about to come. She looks into the eyes of her family, and lifts her hands, uncovering her head and face she lets them see the person behind the veil. Blond hair falls out of its restraint and around her shoulders, wisps of which blow onto her face from the soft breeze around them.

She turns imploring eyes to her friends, begging them to understand. She sees Sara, eyes distant now as she nods to herself seeming to have confirmed an observation, she watches as Diggle’s face takes on a blank expression, as shock colors Roy’s features and finally she allows herself to  direct her eyes towards Oliver; anger, betrayal, hurt all the emotions she never wanted to see directed towards her from his beautiful eyes are now warring for domination on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never written action before except for a really small few paragraphs in this story’s 3rd chapter. I don’t know if any one of you even liked it, but I hope this one is as well as I feel it is. Moving on…
> 
> So looks like they’re still using the old foundry as HQ…hmmm…anyways how awesome was that trailer. I abandoned my studies for my final just to watch it. I had to control myself from watching it again and again, reminding myself that I have to study and that I can always watch after the exam. It was torture! Until the next chapter, my friends...Tata for now =)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this got long... like 5k long. I thought about dividing it into two chapters after all a jump from 1k to 5k is a huge one but I couldn't. So anyone about to read this chapter prepare yourselves, the present day is all dialogue and its long…looooonnnggg. So enjoy!!!

**Morning of the attack…**

Felicity’s eyes and hands were busy digging in her bag for her phone while walking out of the Queen Consolidated building for her coffee break when she bumped into a solid mass of hard muscle. Before the impact could send her sprawling on the ground though, two arms had grabbed onto her and were steadying her.

Looking up into the amused eyes of Oliver Queen, Felicity felt her face break into an involuntary grin in greeting. Before she could stop herself the words, “My hero,” were tumbling out of her mouth and she watched as instead of the usual amused chuckle or practiced indifference to her slip ups, a proud smile spread across the man’s ever handsome face, his eyes shining in delight at her compliment.

Although, she had meant it as a quip to his nighttime activities, ‘seeing him smile like this,’ she thought, ‘I would make many more of such seriously quippy declarations just to see that look on his face.’

The carefree, open Oliver of the past months was growing on her but she was still sometimes surprised with his new found lightness. Surprised, yes but thankful nonetheless. Thankful that he finally felt like he could lighten some of that burden he carried on his shoulders.

Setting her back on her feet, he greeted, “Hi.”

“I think we are past the pleasantries, don’t you? What with you swooping in to save me yet again. So are you here to meet Ray?”

“No,” Oliver contorted his face in mock disgust, “I came here to see if you were free for coffee actually.” He tentatively finished a hopeful tint to his voice. He hated it when she called the other man by his first name. Their familiarity with each other grating on his nerves, in the past weeks he had seen the two grow closer, an easy camaraderie and light banter exchanging between them.

They were a lot alike - intelligent, funny and positive, it showed in their quick banter and witty remarks. Talks of technology that went right over his head, Ray understood perfectly and added in his opinions for good measure too. It scared Oliver to see her like that with him. He had finally after so many months of pushing himself gathered enough courage to start putting down his walls and letting her in. He couldn't and wouldn't lose her to Ray Palmer.

“Sure. I mean its coffee. Do you really think I could say no to that? And…as it happens it is my coffee break. So lead the way Mr. Queen” Felicity replied smiling.

 A relieved smile spread across Oliver’s face and he proceeded to offer her his elbow, ready to escort her to the nearest Starbucks. “M’lady,” he stated making Felicity giggle.

After they had gotten their orders they turned to head back to QC, their steps slow and steady. They spent the walk exchanging small talk, pointing out random passersby, playing a game too childish and immature for their age but freeing at the same time, Felicity occasionally bursting out in giggles at some of Oliver’s comments on the poor unsuspecting pedestrians, making his smile even bigger than before.

 As they neared the entrance to QC, Felicity turned around to stand opposite him facing him. “Thanks for the coffee Oliver. We should do this again sometime. Preferably, after you haven’t just saved me from yet another faux pas of mine. A girl’s ego can take only so many hits.”

Oliver chuckled and only nodded in reply, too happy to speak the words aloud. As she turned around to head back inside, Oliver sucked in a breath, calming himself and called out to her. Turning around she took the two steps back to him that she had taken away. Tilting her head in question she waited, a small smile gracing her face, waiting patiently for him to voice his thoughts.

“I…uh, I was wondering if…”

“Yes Oliver?” Felicity prompted him forward.

Taking another deep breath he asked, “Felicity, I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me?”

A growing smile started spreading across her face, cautiously though, she asked, “Like a date? I mean a date-date?”

“Yeah,” he replied sighing lightly in nervousness, “like a date, a date-date.”

This time she let her full smile break out and nodded. The resulting smile on Oliver’s face delighted her even more. As she bit her lip turning around to walk back inside the building, Felicity looked over her shoulder to Oliver and stated with a smile, “I’ll see you later tonight then, Oliver.”

“No…” That stopped her in her tracks. She turned back around inquisitively. “I mean yes…only if you want to…I just…” Oliver stumbled over his words confusing her further, finally he offered in explanation, “I was thinking since everything’s been so quiet lately you could take the night off and after my patrol I come over to your place to share that wine. What do you think? Not…as a date…you know just to spend time together.”

“Yeah sure I would like that,” Felicity replied smiling a little, still confused with Oliver’s words, “but you better not back out now, Queen…or I’ll have your head.”

“I won’t have it any other way. I just want our first date to be perfect. And a night of binge-eating and drinking doesn't count as that. I thought we could go out for dinner, maybe tomorrow night?”

A smile broke out on her face at his words. Her tone soft, she replied “That sounds good. I will see you tonight then for our non date-date.”

“Great! I’ll see you.”Oliver exclaimed delighted, a spring in his step as he walked away.

* * *

 

 

**Present day…**

“Sit. Talk.”

“So now you are going to treat me like a criminal? You know I saved your lives right?”

She looks at Oliver’s stoic face as he moves away from her after sitting her down to stand beside the rest of the team, and sighs. It’s time she came out with the truth anyway. Settled in her chair at the lair, surrounded by those she considers family she finally decides to let go of the tight reigns she held over her heart’s deepest secrets. Looking back up into the faces of her team, her family she gauges their reactions to the discovery of her real identity. Everyone had picked a different mode of transport to get back to the lair in an attempt to digest the newly unveiled secret, so there had been no time for it before.

Oliver is understandably the most angry, Diggle seems to still be digesting the news but it seems this time she may not get out of this with just a slap on her wrist, Roy keeps throwing her disbelieving looks that occasionally morphs into awe, Sara seems understanding and Felicity finds herself relieved that at least one team member is not treating her too differently.

Sighing once again she asks, “What do you want to know?”

“Everything would be a good start.” Oliver replies in a tight voice.

Looking away for a minute Felicity gathers her courage, hesitating a moment and starts her story-

“I…was 12 when I ran away from home in search of my father. I had an old photograph, a rough location, somewhere in North Africa, a backpack with my favorite books, a brush, a towel and toiletries with some clothes. My mom’s then boyfriend had some money stashed in the floorboard of their bedroom that I stole along with a credit card.”

“Why did you run?” It was Roy who asked. She understood, he had wanted a family but they abandoned him and she had had a family that she abandoned.

“My mom told me when I was a child that my father left us and would never come back. She tried hard at first to be a good mother but she just wasn’t the type. Soon she was addicted to a variety of things - alcohol, drugs, sex you name it she wanted it. She got in some serious debts in our hometown, so she took me and ran to Vegas to work as a cocktail waitress. I was twelve when she brought in her boyfriend of the month, Reggie. Reggie was stocky, smoked, stunk of dead meat; he was a butcher at the restaurant my mother worked at the time, _and_ was a pervert.

He used to make me uncomfortable. I saw him watch me a few times and I told my mother. She lost her temper and told me she won’t give up another man for me, that I was just a good for nothing pain in her existence.” She listened to the shocked intake of breaths from her team. She had never talked about her time with her mother with anyone, memories too painful for her to drag out.

“That’s when I started to look for my father. I wanted him to take me away from this hell. I had found the photograph in one of our old boxes a few years ago and had kept it close to me. They looked happy in it, my mother and father they took it at a carnival where they met for the first time... Anyways, I scanned and photo shopped it on my school computer the very next day to see how he would look older. I used to go for advanced classes to a prep school so it had all the amenities I needed. When my mother was busy I stole my passport from my mother’s closet and kept it hidden inside the backpack that I had put together for when I decided to leave.

One night when my mother was at work Reggie came into my room. I panicked when I saw him advancing towards me with his lewd smile so I grabbed my lamp from the nightstand and hit him on the head using my bed for the height. He dropped in a pile on the ground, hurrying I grabbed my already packed bag and ran. It took me a week of hitchhiking, without the owners’ knowledge of course, pulling Home Alone 2 tricks on adults...it actually worked, can you believe it,” she looked to her friends hoping to get a smile out of them.

When nothing happened she sighed hanging her head in defeat, before continuing, “I got on an illegal flight to Egypt without visa when I bumped into a man. I recognized the camouflage uniform he was wearing; it was the same as my father’s in the picture. So I followed him and ended up outside the gates of a mansion.

I just had a first name to go with from the back of the photograph so I asked the guard at the gate if he knew any Ra’s around here. I went on a five minute ramble about how it was a name of a person and not a place or a thing. He just stared at me stoically. I was sun burnt, hadn't eaten anything in two days having run out of money, so annoyed, I stomped my foot on the ground and shouted at the top of my lungs that I was looking for a Ra’s who happens to be my father and that I will not leave the guard alone until he gives me an answer.

When I was finished I finally saw some emotion on the man, he was scared. I thought _I_ had scared him.” Felicity remembered giggling at her 12 year old self. Sobering up seeing the still stony expression on Oliver’s face she continued, “Turns out my father was out on the grounds talking to the man I had followed, a friend of his. He took me in, he and Nyssa. He told me he fought for me, my mother wouldn't let him take me away. People were after him and so he couldn't stay, he had to leave otherwise he would have been putting me in danger, so he gave up and left in the hopes that one day he would get to meet me again.” She remembered with a soft smile.

“He was impressed that a 12 year old girl could find him, saying he was hard man to locate. And there started my new life. He gave me a new name. Talia, Dew from god in Hebrew. Told me he had wanted to name me that when I was born, that I was his blessing from God, but my mother vetoed it.

I loved my new home and all the attention that was lavished on me. My father saw my love for computers, mathematics and English and hired a teacher to home school me. Nyssa accepted me with open arms, too. She was seventeen then and totally badass. She was everything an older sister should be.

Then a month in and I got taken. I never knew who he was. But he tried to manipulate me, told me my family had abandoned me and won’t come for me. That if I accepted, _he_ would be my family. Teach me to be strong, take me around the world. I was scared, I was crying but I never budged. He talked and talked and played so many mind games I lost track. All I did was to shake my head no or tell him that my family will come for me.

They did. My father killed him, took me home and told me never to mention this again. That all I needed to know was the man was gone and would never hurt me again, the details didn't matter; Who? Why? How?

I nodded and left for my room. Nyssa stayed with me that night. The next day she gave me my first knife and took me for target practice. I had seen the assassins practice of course but I thought they were warriors like I believed my father to be, I was fascinated. Turns out I was a natural at throwing knives. My father saw and started my training the next day. I took to it so easily everyone was surprised. My sister had grown up in that world. She had been learning since she could crawl. My ‘talents,’” Felicity used air quotes “had just now been discovered, so it was a surprise to them that I was as good at it as I was. I was a natural in my father’s words. Nyssa, my father and everyone chalked it up to genetics. I was…happy.”

A sudden melancholy took over her when she started the next leg of her story.  The sudden change in her mood alerted the rest of the occupants of the basement of the turn the story was about to take. “I was fifteen when I fully understood what it was that my father and sister did. I guess I always knew but didn't want to accept it. But then I saw Nyssa kill a man in cold blood for abandoning the League and walk away with no care.

I tried to run then, my father was _furious._ This was the first time I was scared of him. I was locked away in my room for a week, Nyssa as my only visitor. I started my training again after that and at once I realized they were turning me into an assassin too.” She paused to gather herself once more.

“All I had wanted…needed was to be able to defend myself. After Reggie and my kidnapper I wanted to gain back control but in the process I learnt that I had relinquished all the control to my father. I wasn't allowed anywhere alone after my attempt at running away, everywhere I went I had someone guarding me, shadowing me. I pleaded with him, told him I needed some independence to grow into my own person. He was reluctant at first, but he understood and I was relieved.

Finally after a month I was allowed outside on my own. I found an internet café, hacked a few databases, created a new identity, made a paper trail and ordered a new passport. Still sometimes my sister, the house staff or other League members would accompany me around the markets for various errands so I wasn't always alone, that’s why it took me a few months to gather all that I could for my escape. I stored them under the ruins of a building in a bag after every time I gathered one more element for my disappearance.

But I stayed, even after I had all that I needed to escape, I stayed. They were my family no matter what. I continued my training and even started helping my father in all matters of business because he asked me to. My acumen with computers and mathematics came in handy there, while Nyssa was shadowing our father in matters of the League I would help him with all his other businesses. Nyssa even pulled me into some League deals saying I have to learn just like her. She believed it to be our legacy, she still does.  

But I also started fighting, fighting and arguing with my father that there was another way. It all came to a head, though, on my seventeenth birthday. I had been with them for five years now…huh!! I just realized three quarters of our team seems to have some kind of connection with the five years away theme…” she looked up once again expecting amused chuckles, having gotten through most of her story she presumed their initial wariness would have softened by now, ‘no such luck’, she thought sighing after looking at her partners’ faces.

“My father came into my room with a huge dress pouch in his arms the night before, Nyssa right behind him, both with huge smiles on their faces. He told me he had a gift for me, that the next day I would really _be_ an _Al Ghul_. He handed the pouch to me and kissed my forehead telling me to go to sleep, that it was going to be a long day tomorrow. Nyssa stayed back after he had left, eagerly waiting for me to open my gift.

I don’t know what Nyssa saw on my face when I opened the gift but I knew she understood, she understood that I couldn't do it. Inside was this uniform, neatly folded with a card wishing me a Happy Birthday on top of it in my father’s neat script,” Felicity said pointing to herself, “along with weapons, knives, batarangs and a staff of own, all that you saw on me today and under it all was my first assignment.”

The team collectively drew in a breath and waited for her to continue. “I knew I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill. That was not me. Yes, I had practiced it and sparred with others, every time emerging the winner. But I never killed, I didn't want to. I had struggled even with the idea of it, shuddered every time I thought about it and Nyssa understood. She knew when she saw me on the morning of my birthday that I won’t be coming back. As I was leaving Nyssa came up to me and with the pretense of wishing me luck she slipped some money in my backpack and promised me father wouldn't ever know why I left.

All I left with was my father’s gift and a painting of Nyssa and me.” A fond smile stretching across her face as she recalled her sister’s antics to make her happy, “I used to complain about how we never clicked pictures, that I wanted memories. So Nyssa sat me down one day opposite a canvas and a strange man, she joined me after talking to him. At my questioning look she had exclaimed ‘why click a picture when you can get a painting!!…We are Al Ghuls, my dear sister we don’t do small things.’”

“That sounds like something she would say.” She was glad Sara spoke when she did she was starting to feel suffocated by the continued silent treatment being awarded to her. Smiling at her friend in gratitude she continued, “When I came back to the US I was Felicity Smoak. I ran from being Felicity Goodwin for a family to being Talia Al Ghul, and I ran from Talia because I couldn't pay the price of my soul in exchange for a family to be Felicity Smoak, IT extraordinaire. I dyed my hair, replaced my contacts for glasses, shed all that was Talia about me to be the real me, the one I had buried for the approval of my family.

I used the money Nyssa had given me, whatever was left of it anyways to rent a small apartment in Pennsylvania where I had landed and to apply for colleges and scholarships. It was then that I started counting cards for money, I already knew my way around a casino thanks to my upbringing in Las Vegas, and so it wasn't that difficult. I never went to the same place twice. I would always leave with my arms full and when I had enough to survive; I left for Boston, my MIT acceptance letter in one hand and scholarship money in the other.

I got one letter from Nyssa after I had been here for two months. She wrote that father thought I left out of shame of not being able to complete the job. I think he still believes that.” Her story relayed she waits, waits for a sign that everything was going to be fine. She waits for the silence to leave and for voices to fill the basement. At this point Felicity thinks she’ll even take their anger if they spoke or even yelled, she would gladly absorb it all with the hope that she won’t lose her family at the end of it.

 “When I was there,” Sara started slowly finally bringing some respite to Felicity’s over active mind and her ringing ears, “they talked about you, you know. About how good you were, how exceptional, that your kind of strength was unmatched by any. I wanted to be you then; you became my heroine, someone I looked up to, and someone I _still_ look up to.” Sara finished bringing tears to Felicity’s eyes at her friend’s simple acceptance of her.

Felicity smiling at Sara after a few seconds of silence, confessed, “Funny you became mine when you came in” receiving a proud smile back in return.

“If you knew how to fight why did you feel left out, you know, during the whole…” Sara hesitated.

“Tockman thing?... Because I was Felicity Smoak IT Girl who didn't know how to fight. And even though I knew the truth I was a little jealous of you.” Felicity spoke. “You were everything I couldn't be for my family. I couldn't kill and I couldn't stay.”

“I didn't stay and I got tired of the killing too.”

“You know only the really higher ups and Al Ghul’s get to wear a uniform of their choice. You had one that told me you were either close to my family or a higher up. Since you have to be a stronger fighter than you were when I met you, I surmised you were close to my family. The really higher League Assassins can do more than you know, that’s why they are so invincible and have next to no scars, because they almost never get hurt. I know because I studied with them. That’s why I don’t have any. Scars, I mean. When I got in the way of that bullet, my _first_ scar, proved that I was _more_ than my family ever wanted me to be. I earned that scar and it made more proud than having all the skills that I have ever did, I didn't have to be an expert fighter to be proud of myself _or_ be a _savior_. I finally saw myself stepping out of the shadow of my family that day.”

“What all can you do?” Roy’s curiosity growing with every sentence that Felicity uttered.

“Everything,” Felicity said shrugging.

“Everything?” Roy repeats a little skeptically.

“Yes Roy, _everything_ ,” Felicity emphasizes once again, “My mentors taught me well. My final test along with all other fights that I participated in showed that I was a master at both armed and unarmed combat and I’ll have you know I happen to be spectacularly adept at handling all weapons, ranging from simple to the most advanced modern ones.”

 “How come you don’t have the muscle mass of a warrior then?” Diggle asked

“I never did,” she shrugged. “For some reason instead of growing into the body of a fighter, I grew with feminine curves, my sister called it genetics I called it luck.”

And what about when we trained? When I tried to teach you none of your training “showed…how?”

“I…pretended…obviously,” Felicity sighed a little apprehensive how her explanation was going to go down with her friend, “to be as bad as I was during training. I mean how was I to explain an IT girl who sits behind computers day in and day out having ninja assassin style skills. My skills went way beyond what they teach you in self defense and I knew if I pretended to know just a little using that excuse I would just end up making you suspicious because I was that good. And I knew it, so I didn’t want to risk it.”

“What about when I found you in the foundry punching away at the training dummy?”

“I heard you coming a mile away…” Felicity shrugged smiling at Sara.

“Huh..of course you did. I never understood how Nyssa could do it you know. I am nowhere near as skilled as her…and well, now that I know…you,” Sara said looking at Felicity with a small smile on her lips and admiration in her eyes.

“Yet…you are already awesome, one little obstacle won’t be a problem. You’ll soon be as good as an Al Ghul by the looks of it.” For the first time since she had known the woman Felicity saw Sara blush.

“What about your fears and…” Roy asked a little unsure as to how to continue.

Sara interrupted him adding in her own query, “they used to call you the seductress or the siren fondly. Said you had everyone, man and woman, wrapped around your finger. A look from you and they would melt, and not in an innocent way either. What happened to that girl?”

Felicity laughed. She remembered how fun it had been if nerve-wracking at the same time to be that commanding seductress that everyone thought her to be. Then her gaze fell towards Oliver, his face twisted in a scowl and she sobered up. Looking towards her two friends she answered, “Yeah that…that was nothing but a persona I adorned. I learnt from my father to wear a mask of nonchalance and indifference. From watching the women around me, I learnt of another mask that I could use to my advantage.

Soon Talia herself became a mask. Everyone bought it, even my father, but not Nyssa. She knew when I would talk to the people around us in as less words as possible, my voice down to a soft whisper, she knew that inside I was babbling a thousand miles a minute.

She knew when I bit my lip while talking or listening to someone it wasn't an act of seduction but nervousness. I learned to use my eyes to cover up the little scared girl inside, replacing her with a confident girl comfortable with her body. The fears were all there; heights, needles, kangaroos; but I learnt to pull a mask over my face to hide them. When I shed Talia’s image I shed all that, and let the awkward, babbly girl who I had trapped, out. That’s about it, actually.”

Everyone was silent for the next few minutes, the silence once again getting on Felicity’s nerves.

“So you think you could show me how you did that flip thing that you did to bring down that big guy?” as always Roy helped with lightening the mood. Smiling at her friend, thankful for his presence and acceptance, she nodded, replying, “Sure. I would love to.”

She felt grateful that she had finally found the family she had craved for all her life as she was engulfed in three pairs of arms. Sara whispering a quiet "We love you too, Smoak" in her ear.

“Is that what she was saying to her father?” Roy inquired disentangling himself from the group embrace for a moment before he pulled her back in his arms again repeating Sara’s words, with Diggle not far behind, the same words falling from his lips bringing tears to her eyes.

It hadn't gone unnoticed by anyone though that Oliver hadn't moved a muscle. He still stood in his place, arms crossed, body rigid, mouth pressed in a tight line, eyes reflecting anger as his face held a stoic expression, covering any other emotion he may be feeling.

Sensing the need for his two partners to have a talk Diggle announced his departure, dragging a protesting Roy and a sympathetic Sara with him. Oliver his face a mask of stone, held his eyes to her appraising her, trying to understand something that was beyond his comprehension and it unsettled her.

Even though he was constantly surprised and amazed by her, by whatever new thing he had discovered about her, he had never looked at her as though he hadn't ever known her. ‘He does know her, he’s known the real her since he first met her. Talia after her first two years seized to be real. She became a mask, something Felicity Smoak never was’ her mind told her, told her to speak and relay these exact same words. But she couldn't, she had to wait for him to speak, to let his emotions and all the hurt out. So she remained silent, waiting with fidgeting hands and wandering eyes for him to say something to her, anything.

“You lied to me.” The words uttered in a broken whisper sent a pain shooting right through her heart. She didn't know how to tell the man in front of her, how to convince him that she didn't lie on purpose. That every time she wanted to tell the truth, her mind would tell her what a bad idea it was, her heart would brokenly beg her not to do this to herself.

They told her she wasn't Talia anymore anyway, so what did it matter. She is and will be Felicity Smoak. How could she tell him that even though she trusted them…him with her life she wasn't so sure about her heart. Her insecurities played with her insides making her afraid that when faced with the truth the team she now considered a family along with the man she dared fall in love with, would leave her, and she would once again be left a broken mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't do flash backs because they would have gotten cumbersome with all that I had planned in Felicity’s history and because I wanted her to be the narrator while everyone else were silent listeners. 
> 
> And I also didn't divide this chapter into two as I said above is because I wanted to focus on how Oliver and Felicity deal with this as soon as possible and also dedicate a whole chapter to their talk. Of course there will be other elements added to it can’t do another chapter full of dialogues again…it gets tiresome for the reader and the writer.
> 
> I hope you guys like it. Until next chapter…tata for now =)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here goes the talk we have all been waiting for and more...

 

“So how was the meeting with daughter dearest?” A silky French voice invaded the peace of his dimly lit suite. Ra’s Al Ghul looked up calmly from his place at the bar, an empty crystal tumbler on the counter top beside him and the decanter of his favorite scotch suspended in his right hand, regarding the man before him coolly having expected him to show up anytime now. What Henri Ducard didn't know was that he had heard him even before the man had made it to the window ledge of his room.

‘His ignorance would one day cost him,’ Ra’s Al Ghul thought with disdain. Calmly he replied, “It is none of your business Henri. Though I would like to know what brings you here to my temporary abode at this unsavory hour?”

“Oh cut the crap, _Demon_.” Henri mocked. “You know exactly why I am here. I gave you information and now I want my reward.”

“I don’t remember setting a reward for the location of my daughter.” He replied bored. Setting the decanter down besides his empty glass, Ra’s turned to face the silhouette of the French man, “In fact, I had been clear that no one was to look for her. She is an intelligent woman and would have found her way back soon enough to her home.”

“Really?! Then why are you here? I told you, yes, but you could have easily ignored the information, instead here you are. You came old man, you came running for your beloved little daughter,” the man continued in his fake sickly sweet voice, still mocking the leader of the League of Assassins “and if you wanted to wait you could have waited even now. So I am here because I want the compensation for the services I provided to find your daughter.”

“Oh but I never asked you to, did I?” Ra’s continued in a straight voice, pausing momentarily after each sentence to drive his point across, “And it was an accident you met her as it is. As I said she is an intelligent woman, she hid herself well. And as for why I came…it is none of your business. You may leave now.” Ra’s dismissed the other man with a wave of his hand, tired of the conversation taking place between them and returned back to filling his tumbler with The Macallan, 1939 he had ordered.

“Sure, I will. And since you won’t give me what I deserve maybe I’ll go to your daughter and tell her everything, what you are and what you have done…”

Ra’s chuckled humorlessly, a laugh that would have sent shivers running down a lesser man’s spine, “Do you really dare to blackmail me, Henri?” Again a laugh escaped the mouth of the Demon as he mocked the trespasser. “And what will you tell her? That daddy is a bad man? He runs a secret organization called the League of Assassins? You do understand that she already knows everything, don’t you?”

“Not everything,” Henri Ducard challenges with a smirk, wiping the smugness off of Ra’s face, replacing it with cold dark glint that gives fair meaning to the nickname he’s earned. Gritting his teeth Ra’s reminds the man, “You had a deal…you fulfilled it, if you go back on it now have no doubt, Henri Ducard I _will_ hunt you down and make an _example_ out of you. You have already once before _dared_ to defy me, tell me Henri how did that work for you?”

“I am better now than I was ever before. I can take you and your two little bitches of daughters together in a fight any day. So I will only repeat this once more, give me my reward and I leave.”

“And what is it that you expect as a reward dear Henri?” Ra’s asked, indulging the man standing in the shadows a bored look settling over his own face expressed clearly through the tone of his voice.

“Money, the new virus you developed…what’s it called, right _Elbola_ , maybe one of your daughters…I am not picky” Henri demanded shrugging coolly.

At his last demand Ra’s bristled. His face a complete mask of indifference, his voice betraying the anger he felt inside him at the man’s audacity, Ra’s taunted, “You and I both know any of the above prices is too high for a man of your status. You were never deserving of anything but the sewers, my dear Henri.” He finishes aggravating the French man further.

Swirling the amber liquid in its tumbler, Ra’s proceeds to sniff the aroma of the vintage, satisfied he takes a small sip of the vintage single malt before addressing the intruder once again, “How about I do you a favor and let you live instead?”

“What like last time? Your mercy means nothing to me Ra’s, I learnt it the hard way that you are a lot of things but merciful isn't one of them. Sorry not happening old man. I won’t fall for it again,” Henri cackled.

“Well it was your mistake that I did what I did the last time. If you hadn't changed the terms of our agreement you wouldn't have suffered as much as you have.”

“I made one mistake. _One_ , and you declared me a deserter!”

“Oh but Henri you did desert the League didn't you…”

“Yes but only in fear of my life.”

“And I offered you a way back in…”

“Was I supposed to _trust_ you?! You _are_ called the _demon_ for a reason you know.”

“And I am also known for my word. You cannot blame your actions on me, Henri.” Ra’s continued calmly.

“Oh but your daughter can!” a riled Henri exclaimed.

“Even if you do tell her how do you suppose you’ll prove it to her?” Ra’s asked not abandoning his calm demeanor, looking directly in the eyes of the defector. “She is a woman who understands and accepts facts not conjecture. And even if you are able to convince her of your story, she is too good and too loving to ever abandon her family.”

“Is that so? But she already did abandon you didn't she?”

“I am getting tired of this cat and mouse game. Do what you want to do I really am not in the mood for your games Ducard. I do not wish to kill you for the simple reason you were once a loyal servant and good friend. But if you insist on getting on my nerves then I shall not hesitate any longer.”

“So I don’t get any reward?” Henri asked in his inquisitive voice.

Taking a sip of his Whiskey Ra’s replied shortly, “No.”

“Then why don’t I go tell your daughter that her darling father was the one who planned her abduction all those years ago. That he promised a scared deserter his place back in the league in exchange for him to take his daughter away and manipulate and mentally torture her.”

With that Henri moved to the window ledge making his way slowly confident that the demon would finally give in to his threats. As he put his left foot on the ledge he heard his name called. Smiling in victory Henri turned; a smug smirk spreading across his face, waiting for Ra’s to confirm his compliance.

Ra’s still sat in his seat at the bar, his left side facing the window ledge where the French mercenary stood, his scotch whiskey now clutched loosely in his left hand, he finally spoke, his voice a low menacing whisper, “You should have never taken her away as far and for as long as you did and you should have definitely never come out of hiding to show your ignorant face today. You double crossed me then, you hurt me and I let you go. _That_ was me being merciful,” finally Ra’s turned his cold distant eyes towards his Judas wiping the smug grin off of the doomed man’s face.

Before Henri Ducard could move, an ice pick had embedded itself in his carotid. His eyes wide in disbelief, a petrified look forever etched onto his aging face he fell to the pavement below.

* * *

 

“Yes…,” after a pause she spoke again, softly whispering, “Yes I did. But not about the important things, I never lied about who I was. Yes, I didn't tell you about my past but at some point Oliver it had stopped mattering to me as much. I was, am and will always be Felicity Smoak. Doesn't that count for anything?” Felicity pleaded.

Oliver’s jaw ticked in anger as he gritted his teeth to calm himself enough to speak, “Not when the secret is this huge Felicity…’ he replied in an exasperated tone.

Sensing that she was losing him Felicity hurried to explain, “Oliver you _have_ to understand…”

“Understand what, Felicity? That you have been lying to me…to us for two years now, that’s what you want me to understand?!” Oliver bit out furiously.

“Tell me Oliver why don’t you talk about the island?” Felicity asks a little frustrated now.

“This  _isn't_  about _me_. You lied but I never did. You knew where I was, you had an idea of what I did to survive…”

“I wasn't being condescending,” Felicity interrupted, “all I wanted was for you to remember _why_ you don’t talk about your time on and off the island.” When Oliver remained silent Felicity continued in a small voice, “Because you are ashamed of something’s you did to survive. You’re not ashamed of the strength or the lessons those five years gave you but you’re ashamed of what you had to do at times to survive. You are right this isn't about you, it’s about me. Did you stop and think that maybe I was ashamed of my time away too. I don’t regret meeting my family or learning to harness and use my strengths, what I do regret is not speaking up more or not leaving even when I had the opportunity to. I left a little too late.

But mostly I am ashamed of what they taught me can do. I hate that my skills can kill a person. All this time I have been careful, if I ever got in a fight, my opponent would leave the ring severely injured but not fatally so. But how long could that have gone on,” a desperate tone settling into her voice. “I was taught to kill, to _be_ a killer, so I never used my skills after becoming Felicity Smoak because I didn't want to turn into a killer. My conscience…my soul couldn't have been able to handle it. Do you understand now?”

“What about all those times when you could have defended yourself?” Oliver gritted out irately.

“You mean the Dodger, the Count and all the other garden variety of villains I had the fortune of running into?”

“Yeah.” He gritted out, his anger having lessened with Felicity’s explanation but not disappearing altogether.

“I admit I was way too rusty when the Dodger happened. I hadn't realized until he had strapped me with the collar that he was in a position to do so.”

“What about Helena?”

Felicity shrugged, “Didn't trust her to not go ratting me out, I was already in the process of getting out of the zip ties on my own when you came bursting through.”

“What would you have said if you had escaped and I found you later?”

“A security guard came to my rescue, maybe?” Felicity said shrugging once again.

“What about the rest?”

“In the casino, I knew you would come for me and I hadn't even decided yet if I would stay after we found Walter so I thought it best to keep it a secret even then. I hate heights so my emptying the contents of my stomach in Lian Yu was not an act. I knew I couldn't escape a landmine on my own so I waited, and the hoods…well I did take action then, however small, but I did, by hitting one of your attackers on the head with that sculpture before you _Tarzaned_ us out of there…what else?”

“The Dollmaker, the Count…Slade, or what about when Sara came in and revealed her secret, you probably even guessed the Dark Archer’s origin, what about that?” Oliver fired questions at his blond partner, frustration still clear in his voice.

“The Dark Archer, I guessed yes but wasn't sure. By the time I joined you in your _crusade_ you had already gone head to head with him, what… _twice_?” Without letting Oliver answer she continued, “I had run into Malcolm Merlyn once at our house in Nanda Parbat but he was dressed in a suit not the Assassin garb then so I had guessed that he was just one of my fathers’ business partners. Whereas with The Dollmaker, when I tried to free myself I really did trip and fall and The Count…he had drugged me so I was still out of it when you came in, that’s why I didn't fight back, I couldn't even if I tried to.”

Felicity paused thinking over her next two answers carefully and remembering all the reasons for her continued silence in those two instances. After a moment she stood up to stand in front of Oliver, needing to face him as directly as she could to convey how confident she was that her choices then had been what was right for all of them, looking directly into his eyes she spoke, “When Sara came, I was…impressed by her skills but I hadn't seen her in proper action to make a judgment about where she acquired them, and then she revealed the truth of her tutelage.

It was like all my nightmares had come back to haunt me. When I had come to the U. S. after my escape, I spent two years looking over my shoulder expecting an ambush, for someone, anyone to come in and take me away and as a result I made myself as invisible I could. My genius in my work made it difficult, though because my professors started noticing me and so did my classmates but I soldiered on, trying to hide as much as I could. Finally in my third year I decided I was done being scared, so I stopped hiding as much, I stopped looking over my shoulder no matter how scared I got when I heard a twig snap, or a shoe scuff the earth.

But when Sara confessed her connection to the League and that it was Ow-Lawal who had come for her I knew I had to keep quiet. He knew me…very well in fact. He was one of my mentors and is my father’s most loyal servant. If somehow he would have gotten even an inkling about my presence here he would have dragged me back along with Sara and if he failed…the next thing you would have known would be the city overrun by Assassins, the whole wrath of Ra’s Al Ghul raining down on one city.

Yes, my father has brought a considerable amount with him now, so did Nyssa and Ow-Lawal then but there weren't and aren't as many as they would have brought then. It isn't easy trying to neutralize two League trained individuals let alone one of them being me. They would have massacred without remorse and called it justice.”

“You know we would have protected you right?” Oliver asked quietly, looking up from his place on the stairs where he had taken a seat in the middle of Felicity’s explanation.

“Yes I knew you and Digg would have…” At this Oliver raised an eyebrow in confusion noticing the lack of one members name in her confession. When Felicity saw his inquisitive look, she quietly explained, “I didn't know Sara then. All I knew about her was _through_ you and your knowledge of her was five years too old. I knew what being in the League could do to you, so I didn't trust her then. I was afraid that if I revealed who I was she might use this information in exchange for her release. The fear persisted the second time around the League came looking for her but the pursuer now being my sister was my main concern.

Yes she let me go before but this time there were others with her, she could not have left me behind especially with them as witnesses and when she released Sara she could have still easily taken me _with_ her. I kept thinking that if I had told Sara who I was she would have used me instead of the poison to force my sister’s hand. So, I kept quiet. I don’t believe that now.” Felicity finished quietly.

Oliver rubbed his hand over his tired face, his fingers scratching over his stubble and nodded, finally understanding some of the fear that had gripped the heart of the most fearless woman he had ever known.

“We could have used your help with Slade, you know...”

“But you did,” Felicity cut in passionately, noticing the quiet of his voice, the anger now gone completely from it. “You did use my help, when we looked for Thea, when he came to the lair and when he released his final attack on the city. I wish I could have been there to help you protect your family when he killed your mother, but Oliver that’s the only regret I’ll have of that time.

With Thea, it was you and only you who could rescue her, do you really think I would have sided with you otherwise when Digg and Sara wouldn't? The war with Slade was one you had to fight on your own; _you_ had to come out a winner at the end of it, a _hero_. All you needed me to be then was Felicity Smoak not Talia Al Ghul. If I was Talia and would have stepped up to try my hand at beating a super soldier when he infiltrated our sanctuary then we would never have been able to defeat Slade without killing him.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because Oliver, I know what my family taught me and I know the consequences of such power, I have seen it with my own eyes. It was your battle, a battle that only you could win and my addition to it in the capacity as an Al Ghul would not have helped, it would have hindered. And there would have _been_ no element of surprise; the reason we could overpower him was because he thought me weak, so he took me and we were able to defeat him.”

At Oliver’s continued silence Felicity grew restless. “I….I know you don’t trust me right now but…” Felicity began hesitantly looking to Oliver’s crouched form on the stairs, his elbows supporting his head as he rested them on his knees, his eyes now staring blankly at the wall behind her.

“It’s not about that…” he interrupted softly, finally breaking his gaze from the slab of concrete and looking to her.

“Then what is it? Tell me, please Oliver…”

“Would you have told me?...” he questioned once again interrupting her. After a pause, he looked into the eyes he had grown so fond of and continued, “Would you have told me…and I don’t mean ever, I mean maybe on our date or after that? I was planning on telling you about my time on and off the island you know…I didn't want to start anything between us with secrets….” He trailed off waiting for an answer hoping that it would be what he wants to hear.

Oliver’s confession had silenced Felicity. She gaped at him, silently ordering her brain to catch up. Finally regaining her composure, she tried to answer him, “No…”

Oliver hung his head once again, his elbows slipping to give way for his arms to take their place as his body sagged in defeat in response to her answer, but Felicity continued, “Not on our first date but…yeah I would have told you. Maybe invited you to my place and finally told you everything about me, in the privacy and security of my home.” At this Oliver looked up again hope shining through in his eyes.

“I just never thought I would have to come out with the truth. A truth that seems like a dream now, but yeah, I might not have come out with it on our first date, definitely over thought it later, wrung my hands, debated a over and over again with myself but eventually I know I could never keep a secret from you especially if we ever got to say…the third date.”

“You would have come out on our third date?”

“Hey it’s the safe date,” at Oliver’s confused frown Felicity explained, “the reason the third date is hyped the way it is, is because by that time the two parties feel comfortable and confident around each other. Not that I am _not_ comfortable around you…or confident but you _know_ comfortable enough to come out with such a deep kept secret of my life and confident enough that you would listen and not judge me.” Felicity finished gasping in a breath.

Oliver’s eyes softened. He regarded the whirlwind of a woman in front of him. Admiration for her courage and resilience for all that she has gone through flooded him. She may have spent five years away just like he had and maybe didn’t face the same kind of trials he had but she was fighting demons even before that. Falling, rising and soldiering on, on her own, protecting herself when there should have been others doing that for her.

‘How are her trials any less than mine…,’ he thought, ‘If anything they are much greater than my own.’ He remembered the sheltered life he had led, even with the ignorance of his parents at times or their indulgence of him that took him on the wrong path in life he never had to fight so much to live or have a chance at happiness, and here she stands before him bringing light to the lives of the people around her, without complaint.

How she managed to keep her soul so intact even through all that that she went through he’ll never understand but he knew he could be by her side and marvel at that light that she’s chosen to share with him and do all that he can to give her everything that she has missed or ever wanted in life and more.

“I could never judge you,” Oliver stated getting up from his place on the stairs he looked down into her eyes as his palms cupped her cheeks. He saw the future, the future he never dared dream of until he met her in her blue orbs and just like that he abandoned his inhibitions, his doubts and all that was holding him back until now as he planted his lips firmly on hers, trying to prove the truth of his statement to her. ~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So anyone not interested in the personal rant that’s about to follow, skip through to the second para of this note freely, I have some news for you guys.
> 
> So I am finally done with my exams...yes I was writing and posting chapters in the middle of studying for my finals. What?...I couldn't help it…the story wouldn't leave my mind and that kept distracting me from my work. Finally I took the last two days off from writing and reading to study for my last exam, but these two wouldn't leave my mind. I spent half the time that I was studying reading the spoilers coming out of ComicCon unable to concentrate on my work and now here I am…done with my exams finally and ready to leave it behind me already.
> 
> So about that news…before I get to that I would like to thank each every one of you for the tremendous support you have given this story and me. Thanks and lots of love to you all. We are at the final leg of the story now and I would love to finish it in just one more chapter but it can easily go up to two, so that’s there. And now the news I am excited to share. I recently watched the SDCC WB DC panel that was held on the third day of Comic Con and some teasers and spoilers from it have actually given me an idea for a way to continue this story so I am planning to turn this into a series (The plot is being worked on as I type this out). Hope you all stick around for that and support me in it as greatly as you have in this story.
> 
> Annnddd now time for some trivia:
> 
> In the comics it is Doctor Darrk aka Ebenezeer Darrk who did in fact kidnap Talia Al Ghul as he had failed a mission and as a result fled, then came back in the picture to attempt to take control of the LOA. To free his daughter, Ra’s kidnaps Robin and demands Batman’s help in exchange for his sidekick’s release. Darrk died while trying to kill Batman and Talia, and it was later revealed that the plan to kidnap Talia was Ra’s’ doing himself in his quest to test Batman when he had found that Talia had begun to fall in love with him. He offers Batman a place in the League as his subsequent Heir, which obviously Bruce refuses. This happens in the story ‘Daughter of the Demon.’
> 
> Henri Ducard is a French detective who is famously one of Batman’s mentors. He married Felicity Strode, an assassin sent to kill him but in the process falls in love with him and is later killed by her former employer.  
> Oh and also Elbola is a real virus in the DC Universe that Ra’s planned to unleash over Gotham.
> 
> Until next chapter…tata for now =)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People give a warm welcome to my new beta reader Mathlover15 (FF.net)…
> 
> Also she had a question about last chapter that I answered but feel maybe others reading this story may have the same question too, so here goes...her question was: What in the world was Henri thinking trying to blackmail THE Ra's Al Ghul? Did he honestly think that the man who has lived for hundreds of years and knows how to kill someone in a blink of an eye would let him live a second time? This guy either liked to push his luck or he was just plain stupid.
> 
> Well she was right…Henri is just plain stupid and also ignorant…in the start of the last chapter Ra’s commented on Henri’s ignorance and how it was going to cost him one day and well it did…he got cocky and believed he could take Ra’s in a fight completely disregarding the fact that well, he’s RA’S AL GHUL.

"Father?"

"Ah…Detective…"

"Captain," Lance snaps at the man sitting in front of him.

"Captain," Ra's acknowledges with a nod and continues, "It looks like my daughter is here. Do you mind if I go speak with her? She's probably worried."

Lance nods his assent as Ra's stands to greet Felicity in the hallway, confused by her sudden appearance. He walks through the spacious hallway he and the other guests at the Four Seasons had been gathered in for questioning, eyeing his men and his daughter Nyssa, surrounded by policemen taking notes from the corner of his eye, he continues to walk the straight line to his daughter. He's surprised when she steps around him, ignoring his spread arms and with barely a nod in acknowledgement she makes her way back to where he came from.

"What's going on, Captain Lance?" He hears her ask the Captain he had spoken with, as he slides in behind her to observe the exchange.

"Actually I was wondering if…?" Quentin Lance's eyes drift over to the man now standing behind the woman he's come to consider a daughter in the years he's known her, surprised by the sudden appearance of his witness.

"Wait,  _Felicity_  is your daughter?" He directs to Ra's, remembering the reason for the departure of the man.

"Yes Captain she is. If I may, how do the two of you know each other?"

Felicity looks at her father strangely. She knows it's not possible that he doesn't know that Captain Lance is Sara Lance's father, her eyes search his face trying to understand the play, when it dawns on her that her father is here playing a part, a part in which he isn't the leader to of an organization of highly dangerous assassins but just a simple father, in town to meet his daughter.

"Felicity here is a friend of my daughters…"

"Sara Lance," Ra's acknowledges with a nod, his mask firmly in place.

"Yes. How do you…"

"I just met her last night while meeting with Felicity in fact. Well dare I say it's good to meet the father of my daughter's very good friend," Ra's says enthusiastically extending his hand towards the Captain, displaying a smile she knows he perfected long before he even met her mother, a smile that makes the face of the aged man before her transform into something normal from the soulless assassin he's known to be.

"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Smoak," Lance returns, shaking the man's hand in greeting. "I presume your father called you here as well then Felicity."

"No, actually I am here because I got a call from you."

"Ah yes I had, but it can wait. Be with your father for right now, while I go check what my people are up to."

Ra's immediately steps in front of the advancing man, stopping him midstep, a questioning look plastered believingly on his face, he asks, "Why did you call my daughter, Captain Lance? She isn't an officer of the law nor is she a forensic scientist?"

A sheepish look crosses over Lance's face as he debates the best way to deflect the question that the father standing before him had presented to him. Uncomfortably he clears his throat grasping for excuses that his mind is too slow to produce. Seeing the Captains dilemma and taking pity on the man, Felicity comes to his rescue, "How are you, Father? I hear there was a murder…" Felicity ends the sentence eyeing her father meaningfully.

Taking this as his cue Quentin Lance makes his escape not thinking twice about the looks exchanged between the father daughter duo. Her eyebrows raised, arms folded she waits for her father to answer her unspoken question. "Why do you assume, my dear Talia that this is my doing? It could have been anyone…" Ra's spoke not discarding the mask he had donned in front of the Captain.

"Because it's…you," she says waving her hand towards her father.

"Oh but my sweet there are other assassins in this building as well."

"Sure father any one of them could have done this too," at her father's answering smirk she continues, "if they had the desire to die an early and unsavory death for exposing you and League unnecessarily, yeah they would have."

"You wound me my darling." Felicity looked at her father tiredly, unimpressed by the front he refused to put down in front of her, his idea of a joke. Her father had never been a joking man, always too intense and serious to crack jokes just to make his daughters laugh, to run around the compound of their home playing hide and seek or have tea parties with pink frill table covers and dolls. She remembered how he had struggled to connect with her for the first month of her sudden reappearance in his life. Always feeling out of his depths around a light, happy-go-lucky girl who was never interested in the art of fighting and weaponry, her kidnapping had opened doors that had allowed him to bond with his youngest.

"Father please stop this and let's go. We need to talk."

"I have heard that last phrase never ends well for the opposite party. So no, let's stay here a while more, I want to witness the workings of the Starling City's Finest. It's really interesting." Rolling her eyes at her father's obvious deflection and sarcasm she pulls on his hand.

"Oh darling let's stay for another minute, the fun hasn't even started yet."

That stopped Felicity in her attempts to drag her father away to have a talk. As the implications of his last statement started to register Felicity's eyes widened, "What have you done?" Felicity asked narrowing her eyes at the man.

"Me? Nothing…my loyal servants on the other hand didn't appreciate the gall of the man lying outside."

"Father…"

"As I said my sweet, my people didn't approve of the insolence of the man.شيئابهالقيامالىاضطررت (I had nothing to do with it)." Ra's assured his daughter. "Although I must say, I am curious to see how their little prank is going to work," Ra's finishes with a smirk, all semblance of normality gone from his face replaced by his true visage. As the last word leaves the mouth of the assassin radio crackles sound around the hallway as a scared and confused voice comes over the device of the surrounding law enforcement officers, "Captain you have to come see this," the voice says timidly.

Sparing a confused yet heated look to her father she follows the rapid gait of Captain Lance and his officers out the back of the hallway into the lobby, using the back door they venture out to where a congregation of forensic personnel stand stunned surrounding an area that Felicity surmises is their crime scene. As she nears the site she observes a few officers emptying their stomachs contents on the side of the street. The rapidly decomposing body of the victim stops her in her track as soon as it comes into view surprising her and the other new arrivals.

"Everyone clear out now, and get CDC down here. Go! Go! Go!" Lance barks at his men and women, breaking out of his trance.

The rushing of the bodies past her wakes Felicity from her stupor, gagging at the stench of the once whole man, Felicity rushes away from the scene in an attempt to gather herself once again. Once in control of her rolling stomach, Felicity returns by the Captains side. "Who was he, Captain?" she asks the man in a small voice.

"Henri Ducard. His prints showed up on every database known to man; FBI, CIA, DGSE of France, Interpol and my personal favorite…ARGUS."

The name had brought pause to all of Felicity's senses. She remembered, as she stood still, the French man from the office, the gray of his hair, the silky tint of his voice, his cold grey eyes and the chill of his charming smile, it seemed surreal now that the broad imposing man she met was nothing but a puddle of goo on a pavement on one of Starling's busiest streets.

"Ms. Smoak, I think now would be a good time to call him."

"Oh you don't have to worry about that. I already have," a voice bellowed from behind them. Turning around to eye the now present Ra's Al Ghul whose statement caused both of them to voice their questions simultaneously.

"Who do you think we were about to call?"

"The Arrow of course, Captain Lance…who else? After all he is a very good friend of my daughters and I am sure he will be happy to help you. And my dear Talia," at the name Lance turned his confused frown towards Felicity, " **كلماكانعليالقيامبههوالتتابعإلىالكناريأننيتأخذكبعيدا** **،** **أنكنتلمقابلتيبلديجناحالفندقوسأكونعلىاستعدادلاتخاذابنةلقدغابكثيرامعيفي** (all I had to do was relay to the Canary that I was taking you away, that you were to meet me at my hotel suite and I would be ready to take the daughter I have missed so much back with me.)"

" **...** **وال** **د** (Father…)"

Before she could continue, two zip lines had zoomed over their heads securing themselves in the concrete of the opposite building, as a red and green figure slid down to stand in front of her, arrows notched immediately in the direction of her father and the assassins surrounding him. The Canary made her way beside her teammates somersaulting her way down from the nearest rooftops her Bo Staff out, ready for a fight. Rubbing her temples in irritation, Felicity pushed her way forward from between her overprotective teammates. Once she had finally managed to break out, she stood before them, her arms folded legs apart in defiance.

"Father what did you do?"

" **كانكلماعنديمنالرجالفعلتبلديالحلوةتاليامنحهمايستحق** (My sweet Talia, all my men did was give him what he deserved.)"

" **وماالذييستحقهالأب؟**  (And what is it that he deserved father?)" Felicity asked, ignoring the surprised tilt of Quentin Lance's head at her fluent use of Arabic.

" **،سألعنه،وقدمرجاليله** **Ebola** (Ebola, he asked for it and my men gave it to him.)"

" **كنتقتلتهلأنهطلبشيئامنأنت؟** (You killed him because he asked something of you?)"

" **أوهلالاحبيبي،أناقتلتهلأنهكانغاللابتزازلي** (Oh no no darling, I killed him because he had the gall to blackmail me.)"

" **ماذاكانالأبابتزازلك؟الأفضلمنذلكماقالانهابتزازلك؟** (Why _would_ he blackmail you father? Better yet what would he blackmail you _with_?)"

" **لايهمالآنيفعلبلديالحلو؟** (It doesn't matter now does it my sweet?)"

" **وهويفعل،فيالواقع** (It does, actually.)"

Sighing in exasperation Ra's looked behind her towards her friends, before he continued in English, "The man tried to blackmail me to get the virus that is at the moment eating away at him. He threatened the life of my children and so I did what was right, I killed the man who had the gall to stand up to me, _look_ me in the eyes and threaten my family."

"So you are confessing to this man's murder," Lance interjected. "Wow you just made my job real easy buster," he finished sardonically.

" _Dad_ shut up," Sara hissed from the corner of her mouth.

"Oh no dear Canary let your father speak. He is after all one of the only honorable men left in this city's law enforcement. It would be disrespectful to him and the work he's done for your city if he doesn't speak up. I wouldn't want him to hold back on account of me just like I taught my daughters never to."

"What's going on here?" Lance exploded now confused with the exchange between the people surrounding him.

"Dad… _not now_ ," Sara hissed once again.

"He knows who you are?"

"He knows who all of them are Captain Lance," Nyssa answered entering the scene through the shadows. Taking her place beside her sister she continued, "This is why he's here."

"What?" Lance asked still confused.

"Later Captain Lance…"

"No let's share with the class my dear. It's rude to leave people out, I have taught you better than that," Ra's interrupted his youngest, mock admonishing her.

" **الأب،لا** (Father, no!)"

"Oh my dear, you are being…what do you kids say, ahhh a buzz kill…"

"Father would you please stop with the theatrics it unnerves me more than your true self."

Laughing Ra's acquiesced, " **كمايحلولكابنتي** (As you wish my dear daughter.)" He walked towards the group this time making his way to Quentin Lance, "Pardon me Captain, we weren't introduced properly the first time," Ra's said extending his hand, his soulless smile adorning the dark face of the assassin Felicity had learnt to relate with early on in her life, "I am Ra's Al Ghul, The leader of the League of Assassins and the father of Talia Al Ghul who you happen to know as a Ms. Felicity Smoak."

Quentin Lance stood shocked for a moment before his features twisted in an expression of anger so fierce it distorted the handsome features of his face to an uncomfortable degree. He exclaimed as soon as he found his voice, "You are Ra's Al Ghul, you…"

"Dad _don't_ , please. It won't do any of us any good if you lose your temper now."

"Listen to your daughter Captain Lance, she is a smart woman," Ra's taunted the fuming man, "So back to the real reason we are gathered here. Arrow, I believe you have something to say to me?"

"Go to hell…"

"I am the ruler of hell, my dear man," Ra's laughed, "I don't  _need_ to go there." His face turned serious the dark glint back in his eyes, as he spoke in a calm but graveled voice, "We are here because Canary asked me in respect of her servitude to me to give you a chance. A chance to do what may I ask?"

"Captain Lance you may want to leave now," Oliver directed with gritted teeth to Quentin Lance without glancing towards the man, his eyes remaining fixed on the figure of the imposing man in front of him.

"I would rather stay here, actually."

"NOW, Captain. Believe me you don't want to be here for this."

As Quentin Lance reluctantly walked away, the group relaxed a little to let Oliver and Ra's talk. The assassin in question spoke up, "What do you want Arrow…or should I call you _Oliver_?"

"I want you to leave this city and leave my team and family behind. Last time Felicity spoke with you and you did not listen, this time you will deal with me," Oliver continued, not once showing the effect that the assassin knowing his real identity had on him.

"Oh but that's not happening. I don't know what you have heard of me boy, but I never let anyone take away what is rightfully mine."

"No one's taking anything away from you. Felicity wants to stay, she stays."

"And you are going to stop me?" Ra's sneered. "Look behind you Oliver Queen, that man had the audacity to be as insolent as you, and here he is now nothing more than a puddle."

"All I want Ra's, is for you to leave. This is my city, my people and my family you are targeting. And just as you said no one threatens my family."

"So it seems we are at a bit of an impasse. How about we solve it our way then, what say you Arrow?"

At Ra's' words Felicity's head snapped in the direction of her father, "What…no!" she exclaimed indignantly. Stepping forward towards the man she exclaimed, "This is getting ridiculous. Father you are acting like a five year old child who did not get the toy he wanted."

“Did she just call her father, _the_ Ra’s Al Ghul, a child?!” Sara whispered incredulously to Roy. Felicity whipped her head around to Sara, sending her a glare that earned her a palms up gesture in surrender in return and a snort from Roy, while Nyssa still stood quietly on the sidelines watching the scene unfold in front of her.

"But…"

"No, buts father, there will be no fighting whatsoever."

"She was always this fiery, did you know," Ra's directed to Oliver with a proud smile, his face losing the dark glint for a moment. "Her fire is what makes her such a beautiful and fierce warrior," cupping his daughters left cheek he dropped a chaste kiss on her temple before sighing, " **أحبكياتالياالقليل** (I love you, my little Talia) but I cannot and will not acknowledge your request…"

"It _wasn't_ a request…" Felicity bit out through gritted teeth and tight lips.

"Your beloved Arrow asked for a fight and that's what he shall get," Ra's interrupted.

"Father…" at her father's answering glare Felicity finally backed away from the man but did not give up, making her way this time to Oliver she tried to placate him, "Oliver, please stop this madness. This, what you are doing is suicide."

"I would listen to her if I were you, Ollie," Sara sided quietly with Felicity.

Nodding her head in gratitude to her friend Felicity returned her attention to the man covered in green leather, looking the love of her life in the eye, she continued softly, "I can't lose you, no matter what. And this, this will break me…please don't do this Oliver."

"There is no other way Felicity."

"There is always another way."

"Not this time," he replied back just as defiantly.

Sighing she tried once again, "Oliver…"

"No, I have to do this, for you, for our team and for this city."

"What do you think will happen to this city if you die Oliver? Or to your team and family or to  _me_?"

"I won't die…"

"You are going up against Ra's Al Ghul, Oliver…don't take it so lightly. I believe in you, I trust you but I fear my father. I have seen him kill and I can't let you be one of his casualties, I won't."

"Do you remember all that you said to me to keep me going through when Slade took everything away from me?"

"Some of it, yes," Felicity acknowledged quietly.

"Felicity," He said, his voice lowering to a soft whisper as he looked her in the eyes, "if there's anything I know it's that your faith and belief in me are absolute. I will never understand why…why you believe in me as much as you do, but I have learnt to accept it, to embrace it," he shifted from one foot to the other sighing, momentarily averting his eyes from hers before returning them back home, "I learnt not to doubt you, to believe in you, and that's all your doing. I never thought I could trust someone as much as I trust you and Diggle, and now Roy and Sara too. That was you, Felicity. You never feared…all you did was believe that I will get us through another disaster whatever it maybe. Do you think you can do that once again for me?"

Felicity nodded silently unable to break her gaze away from the intensity of his, her eyes now wet from unshed tears. Clearing his throat to gain back the attention of his daughter, Ra's spoke, "It's time you moved, darling."

She looked over her shoulder to her father before averting her gaze back to the hood covered face of the man she loves. His domino mask blackened his eyes but the light shining through them sent warmth running through her body. Standing on her tip toes she stared him in the eyes and very deliberately drew closer, she placed a chaste kiss on his lips her left hand snaking around to his nape. Her eyelids now closed, foreheads resting against each others, their breaths mingled as she whispered, "I believe in you."

Stepping away she saw the blinding smile now spread across her hero's face. Returning the smile in equal she once again turned to her father, approaching him with determined steps she pulled the stoic man in an embrace, relaxing a moment in the safety his arms still provided her, Felicity whispered, "I love him father and I love you too." Stepping away she let a tear fall as she contemplated what her life would be with either man gone. Taking a deep breath she put forth her final request to the men she loved, "There will be no killing. Whatever the outcome I won't lose either of you. This is all I ask of you now, please." At their nods of acknowledgement she moved away, ready to let the two sides of her family fight against each other.

* * *

 

 

The two Alphas circled each other, sizing one another, waiting for the other to strike first. Moving away to the sidelines Felicity held her sisters hands seeking warmth, asking her silently to ground her to this moment. Roy and Sara still stood protectively beside her, ready to interject if needed. Her father's followers dispersed into a circle around the warring alphas, turning the blocked street of Starling into an arena.

Her heart leapt to her throat as the two men charged at each other, tired with the waiting game, their matching snarls raising goose bumps on her skin. She watched mesmerized as they flew into a complicated dance of hand to hand, tripping the other in an effort to one up their opponent. She watched as her father sliced his sword though the chest of the man who owned her heart, his painful howl sending shivers down her spine, ripping her heart right out her chest.

Oliver didn't hold back, ignoring the pain burning through his chest he whirled around facing his back to the assassin as he stuck the tail of his bow in the man's stomach, raising his left fist as he faced him again he delivered a two punch uppercut before he was blocked successfully and slammed onto his back. He stuck his legs out in the air pushing them on the ground, using the generated momentum to stand back on his feet and charging with arrows flying towards his opponent.

Deflecting the arrows, and ducking out of their way Ra's charged back, his sword ready to slice through the man's skin once again, but this time Oliver was ready. He ducked out of the way, slamming his elbow into Ra's' lower back he threw the man off balance. Ra's (being a very skilled fighter) didn't remain unsteady for long, gained his footing back in two steps and re-engaged his opponent in hand to hand.

Choking his windpipe, now in control of their grueling match, he waited for the young man to yield, to give up, to do anything that showed how truly weak he was. But the man didn't flinch, two pumps of his body while holding onto his arms the man had used the force produced to weaken his hold on him. Turning in his arms Oliver bashed his fore head against his disorienting them both.

But keeping his footing in check Oliver pivoted on his right foot to deliver a roundhouse kick to the man's temple confounding him further. Ra's, confounded and stumbling, charged at his opponent with the confidence and gait of a seasoned fighter, rotating in a one eighty degree angle he slammed his right elbow into the Arrows face, gaining the same advantage as the other man; the advantage of a disoriented opponent.

The fight unfolding in front of her eyes scared Felicity. Looking beside her she observed the calm demeanor of her sister, returning her eyes to the fighting forms in front of her she noted the expressions of rage on the men fighting for her. Her brain now worked a mile a minute trying to grasp at a concrete reason for all the pandemonium around her. The chaos dulled to a blur in her mind's eye as memories slammed into her, from the first defense lesson with her father, to the first mission with Oliver, her father's encouraging words after a particularly bad day of training to Oliver's whispered reassurances and words of love...shaking herself out everything came crashing around her as she focused back in on the fight to watch the two most important men in her life fight for a place in hers.

"ENOUGH!" Before she could register it the word had bellowed out of her mouth, anguish at seeing her loved ones in such pain because of her seeping into her voice, bringing a standstill to the chaos that had reigned not a moment ago. She breathed hard as she walked towards the now silently warring duo.

"Felicity…" Oliver's voice sounding breathy floated to her. She raised her palm to stop his next words as she stepped in between the two. Gathering her wits she finally spoke, her voice a soft timber, the strength of the woman giving way to the love she felt for the two men, "I know I said I won't interfere, but this is madness, and I can't stand on the sidelines and watch the most important men in my life attempt to kill each other." She once again stopped Oliver with a look when she saw him open his mouth, getting ready to talk, "I…I can't watch this. It's hurting me more than you two realize to see you both hurt so much."

"Father…" she said turning her body towards the man who brought her into this world, "I love you and Nyssa with all of my heart, you are my blood…"

"And so you should come with us…" The man pleaded quietly with his daughter, dropping the assassin in favor for the father for his youngest.

"But Oliver is my heart," she continued smiling sadly at her father, willing him to understand why she couldn't let him hurt the man anymore.

" **قلبلايفعلشيئاولكنتجعلكضعيفا،ياعزيزتيتاليا** (The heart does nothing but make you weak, my dear Talia.)"

" **لاأبمايفعلههوحقاتعطيكالقوة**  (No father what it really does is give you strength,)" Felicity defied.

"Talia…"

"Father, I love you; you and Nyssa are a part of me and always will be. I can't see you hurting just as much as I can't see Oliver hurting. You are my family."

Turning around, not waiting for her father to respond she faced the now smiling face of Oliver, smiling shyly in return she continues, "I do love you Oliver and you and this team have become my family away from family. But I do have a duty that until now I had ignored." Seeing Oliver's confused frown, she proceeds to explain, "In all my talk of home and heart and blood, I forgot the most important factor in it all, my duty. My duty as a daughter and sister, it's something I ignored all these years…I ran away from it. But I won't anymore, I can't."

"Felicity…no," Oliver interjected urgently, attempting to change the decision he knew she had taken.

"Oliver, I have to do this. They are my family, and it's time I stop running away from them. My duty is to them not the league, but I still have to pay my dues. I have to go back to be with them, even if for awhile."

Oliver hearing her words felt his body slump in defeat. Soft hands on his cheek, urging him to look back up urged him to face the woman who was breaking his heart once again, "Hey," she whispered softly, a smile in her voice, "I will come back, I promise. My true home is here with you," Felicity said looking into the blue depths that had stolen her heart, never to be returned again, "I will come back…think about it as if I have gone away to visit family, which isn't far from the truth." She smiled tentatively at Oliver before continuing, "I will be back before you know it, right beside you, fighting."

After a contemplative pause, Oliver nodded, understanding her want to be with her family, offering her a smile to show his compliance. Turning back to her shocked father she said, "I'm ready father, to come with you but I won't stay." She proceeded to the man taking his hands in hers as she continued softly, "My home is here. Do you understand?"

Ra's nodded, proud of his daughter once again. "I understand my darling. All I want is my daughter back."

Smiling in response to her father's statement she said, "And you have her." Slipping her hand out of her father's she moved to Roy. Gathering the younger man in her arms she whispered to him, "Will you do me a favor? Look after him for me." At his answering nod she smiled before adding, "Get Digg to help you, he's not an easy man to take care of on your own." Laughing at her words Roy released her.

Beaming at the gathered group she directed at her sister and Sara, "I think I can pull off being both Talia and Felicity flawlessly, what do you think?"

Chuckling Sara replied, "I think you can do anything you set your mind to, Smoak."

Smiling at Sara's praise Felicity turned back to Oliver; she looked him over with a smile. Walking over Oliver pulled her in his arms, crushing her to his chest and burying his face in her hair, he breathed her in. After a silent moment where she held onto him as strongly as him, he whispered, "So about that date…?"

And Felicity chuckled in response while internally reassuring herself that things really could work out and everything and everyone she cared about would be alright.

* * *

 

"HARDER!" Grunts followed the exclamation, sounds of flesh hitting flesh, taped hands rough against the skin, high top boxing shoes throwing out an even rhythm on the concrete below.

"Concentrate, Girl… _move_ your feet!" the man opposite her instructed.

"Straighten your spine…"

"Don't stand so stiff…let your _whole_ body move"

Each of the above exclamations was met by action. Forehead creasing in concentration the girl's petite frame moved as instructed, throwing punches at her opponent, learning and improving in the process. Using the balls of her feet she moved around her opponent, her right fist positioned by the chin protecting her head while the left threw punches at the man.

She changed her stance immediately after seeing an opening when her opponent moved closer, grounding her left foot in the front as she brought her right foot back. Bending her right knee at the back, she lowered her right shoulder, dropping the right side of her body in a semi-crouch, and brought her left fist up by the chin to protect her head. Rotating her hips forward, pushing on the ball of her back foot, she brought her right fist up, her right arm staying close to her body as she brought it up in a semi-circle to deliver a perfect Uppercut, hitting her opponent she spun on her left heel to deliver a kick but the man caught onto her raised ankle having recovered quickly from the surprise of his opponents jab, he used her momentum against her as he pulled onto the caught ankle making her loose her balance.

The girl landed on the mats panting, wisps of hair sticking to her forehead in a sweaty mess, her strength waned from hours of training, her breaths coming hard bringing tears of exertion to her eyes, her limbs felt heavy now as she lay still on the mat staring up at the ceiling. She startled up when she heard the man bellow, "You are not done yet…GET UP!"

"I’m tired…"

"That is a sign of weakness…you never tire, if you want to be a fighter you never tire. That's the first rule."

"I thought the first rule was 'Don't get killed'," she exclaimed in a breathy voice.

"If you don't get tired, you don't get killed. Now GET UP!"

"No…I'm done."

"You are done when I say you're done…"

"But…"

"NO buts. You told me you were done being weak, that you needed to learn to fight, fight for yourself and to avenge all those who were taken away from you, well to do that you need to fight…so GET UP!"

"Alright, alright…I'm up." the girl panted out.

"Good girl…lets go for target practice shall we…" the man ordered calmly as he walked out the side door to the room they were in. Sighing in acquiescence she followed the tall figure out to the compound where various targets had been placed, both stationary and moving. She still hadn't hit the bull's-eye but she believed it wouldn't be long before she would be able to practice with the moving targets.

At her companions command, the brunette picked up her classic recurve bow. Notching an arrow, she whispered the words he taught her under her breath, "Breathe. Aim. Fire," before she let the arrow loose and watched as it flew towards the target embedding itself in the bull's-eye for the first time. A cry of victory left her lips as the man stationed behind, observing her praised her, "Very good Thea…now let's see if you can do it again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annndd this is the end of this story…hope you all enjoyed. To all who have loved and supported this story thank you and lots of love and gratitude…next upcoming as you all know is the second part in this series, so keep your eyes peeled for that…until then take care my friends
> 
> Disha =)

**Author's Note:**

> I am not as new to fan fiction writing but this would be my first foray into the Arrow fandom. My previous works were not complete because of the hassle of moving from one country to another at the time for studies and after that I just couldn't find it in me to write. But lucky for you and me most of the material for this work is already written and ready.
> 
> I am obsessed with Oliver x Felicity…surprise! Surprise!...seriously who isn't! They are the reason I am venturing back into writing, let’s see how that goes.
> 
> I was born and raised in Dubai so I know most of what I am writing in Arabic but it’s not a hundred percent me (probably not even 10%). We were started on grammar when I was in 11th grade even though we had been studying the subject since first grade. So sentence formation…not my strong suit (In Arabic). I used Google translator mostly for this reason.
> 
> Ray Palmer will be mentioned but will not be making an appearance in this story…at least he hasn't until the planned parts. He is a character that I do not know anything about and I don’t specifically enjoy speculating much in any story I write. This story will probably just extend to about 5 chapters…the discovery of her true identity and how it impacts the team is what I want to focus on. Plans have a funny way of changing and rearranging in my case so if there are any big changes in what I have planned for this story I will let you all know…oh and I’ll be adding more character tags soon.
> 
> So now that my rant is over, hope you all enjoyed the chapter. More coming soon….tata for now!!


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